Mia Storia
by Browny9
Summary: Mia Caelum of Eterna City sets off on her Pokemon adventure. *See Author Page for More Info*
1. A Glorious Journey's Start

_Mia Storia_

A Pokemon Fan Fiction by Browny9

A Glorious Journey's Start, Chapter I

* * *

On any given day, the first thing to be illuminated by the sun in Eterna City is the statue in the eastern part of the city. High atop a hill where no one is allowed to build their house- despite it being one of the best places to build a house, I think- the statue sits mostly covered in moss. There's an old man that takes care of the moss once in a while, but I think he's gotten so old that he doesn't do it as often as he used to. The statue itself? It's of two ancient and probably super powerful Pokemon. Their names are Dialga and Palkia.

But who really cares about any of that boring stuff? I mean, the date is March 3! Do you know what that means? Well, let me shine a little light on it: it's my birthday!

Huh? "Who am I?"

My name is Mia, and I'm about to become the world's greatest Pokemon Trainer!

"Mia! Wake up, darling! Breakfast is ready!" A voice called out from beyond my bedroom door. That's when I realized I had been dreaming. Or half-dreaming, since I remember waking up and rolling over in bed. Took me a minute to wonder why I was talking to myself the way I was in my half-sleep. Guess I'm just weird.

But all the same I sat up in bed and stretched my arms high into the air. It was something I enjoyed doing after waking up, especially since there was no longer any bunk above me anymore! I groggily looked up to see the pale white ceiling above, smiled, and then hopped out of bed. Mom always told me not to do that, because it disturbed our neighbors on the floor below. But today was my birthday, so I'm sure the rules were a bit more lax. And if not, well they'd have to figure out it was me in the first place! And I doubt they could do that.

I opened my bedroom door and trotted down the short hall. Past a bedroom and a bath, and into the tiny kitchen-slash-dining room. The smell of freshly baked toast- not made in a toaster mind you!- permeated the area. Not the breakfast of kings (or queens) but I wasn't going to complain. Stuff like toast would be a luxury once I was on the road!

"Happy Birthday, sweetie!" Mom announced once she saw me standing there in my brown Buneary pajamas. I remember being angry when she first bought them for me the year before. Something about them making me look like a kid. But I had since grown very attached to them. She walked over to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "Sleep well?"

"Mm-hmm!" I nodded as I sat down.

"You ready for your big day?" She asked, knowing full well I hadn't talked about anything else for almost a month since. What ten year-old isn't just _dying_ to start their Pokemon journey?

"Yup! I still need to go to Sandgem Town so I can get my first Pokemon!" I didn't even need to add that she had to take me all the way there. Much as I begged to go yesterday and stay at a hotel so we didn't have to waste most of today on the road.

"Well, there's been a tiny change of plans about that..." Mom said in that trailing sort of tone that filled me with dread. It's the tone she always adopted whenever plans had changed. And only for the worse.

"What do you mean?"

"I know I said I'd take you, but-"

"MOM! You HAVE to take me! You always took everyone! Well, except for Seth but that's because he went to that school instead!" I screamed out from the table.

"Mia, calm down." Mom instructed in a calm tone. Another tone she frequently adopted whenever I or any of my siblings were out of line. By her reasoning of course. Personally I thought my outburst was well within reason. Still I shut my mouth and slumped in my chair, making sure to look as sullen and pathetic as possible as to earn sympathy points. For what they were worth at this stage.

"There's been a change of plans. Turn around."

With a visible question mark over my head, I followed her instruction. Standing behind me this entire time with a giant smile on her face was none other than Ruby. How many times had this same scenario played out, only for Ruby to yell "BOO!" or something like that just to scare me? Only this time, Ruby standing there was a surprise in itself.

Ruby is my older sister, the oldest of all five of us. She's 16 now, and hasn't been home in several months. So to find her here today of all days was a shock. Of course I leapt out of my chair and into her arms. It was great to hug her after so long. I'd been living alone with Mom for a few months, ever since Lucas left on his own Pokemon journey on his eleventh birthday.

I guess now's as good a time as any to clear this giant family up. Mom and Dad (their names aren't important) had five kids. The first was Ruby, born November 11 and is currently 16. She left on her Pokemon journey like any other kid at 10. She's been to a few different regions already, and has even come back home to continue school from time to time. Next is Seth, born September 9 and currently 14. He didn't go on a Pokemon journey like Ruby, and instead went to Elements Academy, a very famous and fancy school in the Fiore region. He only visits during the winter holidays.

Next is Iris, born August 8, and 12 years old. She is on her second Pokemon adventure now, and I think she's in the Kanto region. We talk on the phone once in a while. Then there's Lucas, his birthday's on December 12, and he's 11. He started his journey a few months ago, one year later than usual. He wanted to stay in school a bit longer for some reason.

Finally, there's me! Mia Caelum, now age 10 and born March 3. Today!

That out of the way, Ruby and I sat back down at the table and started having breakfast at last.

"When did you get home?" I asked my older sister.

"Last night. You were already asleep, dummy." She stuck her tongue out at me. I did the same in return.

"Are you going somewhere else? Where have you been already?" I asked, now more eager than ever to learn where my siblings had traveled.

"I just got back from the Hoenn region. I took a ship from Slateport City to Canalave. Didn't think I'd make it here in time for your birthday. I ran really fast to get here, you know!" She reached out and pinched my cheek, something I never liked and she knew. Still I didn't make much fuss.

"Is it still Summer there? I heard from friends at school that it's always Summer down there!"

"More like it's almost Spring. There's a Winter there too, silly. Just not as cold as ours. Lucky you get to start now. It isn't fun to travel up here in the middle of Winter like I did!"

That was the truth. We lived in Eterna City, which was at the base of Mt. Coronet on its northwestern side. Winter always hit us early and left early. The only other city in the region that had it colder was Snowpoint way to the north. There it was always snowy I heard from friends and teachers alike. I had never been there myself.

"Why don't you just tell her already? I have my camera ready and everything!" Mom cut in. She indeed had her camera aimed at me, a large and dusty old thing that was probably half my age. I turned to Ruby, who was smiling despite her best attempts not to.

"Tell me what?" I asked anxiously.

"Fine! I got you a birthday present!" Ruby reached around the back of her chair into her bag and pulled out a (rather poorly wrapped) gift box. She put it on the table in front of me and I wasted no time in tearing off the paper. I could hear Mom snapping the camera constantly, but when all the paper was off the only thing left was a plain brown box. I opened it to find a single item sitting inside. It was a Pokeball.

Only it wasn't like the red and white Pokeballs I had seen on TV or at the stores. This one was red on both sides, with a red button in the center. I picked it up in my hands, feeling that it was heavier than the ones I'd touched (without permission) at the store.

"It's a Cherish Ball," Ruby said, probably noticing how confused I looked. "It's a special kind of Pokeball you can have made in some stores. I ordered it from Azalea Town in Johto."

"Special how?" I asked, wondering if the weight was what made it so special.

"Nothing really special," Ruby answered with her tongue out. "Just a special event kinda thing. And what's more special than my baby sister finally going on her own Pokemon adventure?"

Much as I hated being called the baby sister, I had a genuine Pokemon Trainer item in my possession. I'm pretty sure my mouth was wide open the entire time. And the entire time Mom kept firing off that camera of hers.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Ruby said after a short time.

"What?" I said, snapped out of my daze.

"Open it! The ball isn't the gift, dummy!"

My eyes lit up. I was right after all. There was SOMETHING inside. And there was only one thing you could put inside a Pokeball of any kind. You know, barring jokes like sticking a rice ball inside one by hacking the device.

And that was a Pokemon.

Ruby had gotten me a Pokemon for my birthday. My first ever Pokemon! Was it a Piplup? Maybe a Chimchar like the one Seth picked out? Hopefully not a Turtwig like the one Lucas picked out... I didn't want to have the same starter like him! All these thoughts and possibilities flew by my head as I went to a less crowded side of the living room to drop the Pokeball from my hands and release the critter inside.

In a flash of red, like I'd seen so many times on TV and from my siblings, the Pokemon took form and color before my eyes. It wasn't a Turtwig, thankfully. But neither was it a Chimchar, or even a Piplup. In fact... it wasn't any Pokemon I'd ever seen before.

"What the heck is it?" I blurted out loud. The Pokemon looked up at me, waving its tiny arms about and making a strange sound that sounded like some kind of garbled dinosaur noise like you'd see in a movie. Somewhere between a roar and a growl and a meow? Not to mention when he made that sound, I could see the lines of very sharp teeth in his open jaw. If he bit me, it would _hurt_.

"And you call yourself a Pokemon Trainer?" Ruby jabbed.

"Not yet. I don't have my ID!" I retorted, blowing a raspberry at her.

"He's a Gible. A pretty rare Dragon type Pokemon!" Ruby stated matter-of-factly.

"Ruby, I thought we agreed on that other Pokemon? You know, the blue one from Hoenn?" Mom pitched.

"The Mudkip? I tried to catch one while I was there, but have you ever heard those things? They're obnoxious like you can't imagine! This one, however," Ruby said, standing by the tiny Gible, "is a super powerful and rare Pokemon!"

"Maybe, but he's not very cute." I sighed.

"Silly baby, you're going to learn right away that cute won't win battles!" Ruby teased, giving me a pat on the head like I was some pet.

"Yeah, well I'll show you! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" I yelled defiantly, pointing a finger at my sister.

"Now Mia, no fighting in the house." Mom ordered. "Take it outside."

"I'll wait for you out by the hill." Ruby accepted, a fiendish smile formed on her lips. "Don't want to lose in your bunny pajamas, do you?"

And for the first time in a while, I felt myself blush and be embarrassed by them.

* * *

Ultimately, whether I won or lost the battle, I won breakfast. Because Ruby left the house without eating anything else. I stayed and finished breakfast before getting dressed and running out after her. Nothing fancy in terms of clothes, just my typical school uniform. Figured if something was going to get dirty and torn through adventures and battling, may as well be the uniform, right?

Outside by the hill I could see the statue of the two legendary Pokemon. School had taught me that these Pokemon were never meant to be controlled by humans, but all the same I wondered how famous I'd be if I actually managed to capture one. Would I become a part of history? A Pokemon Trainer capable of capturing a Pokemon that controls space or time? I admit these fantasies and delusions clouded my mind as I prepared for my first real Pokemon battle against my eldest sister. Little did I know there simply was no hope for victory against her.

"Let's keep this simple since you only have one Pokemon. One on one. Fun fact: rules are always stated before the battle begins once you're out on the road. Got it, sis?"

I nodded, and ordered Gible out in front of me. The tiny dragon that honestly looked nothing like a dragon obeyed without question. Ruby released her own Pokemon, one that towered over Gible quite easily. It was an Empoleon, the final form of the Piplup she had chosen as her starter so long ago. I was only four at the time, but I distinctly remembered that day in Sandgem Town when she first received it.

"That's not fair! You're using your best!" I yelled at her.

"I'm using my own starter, just like you. Another fun fact: battles might not always be fair. You've got to adapt! Let's begin!"

Empoleon stood ready, though I was pretty sure the Pokemon knew my Gible wasn't even a challenge for him. Gible also prepared himself for battle, completely oblivious to the fact we were going to lose. Big time.

"Empoleon, use Bubble!"

Without moving from his starting position, Empoleon blew a flurry of seemingly harmless bubbles towards Gible. Prior to the battle, Ruby had let me scan Gible with her Pokedex, so that I knew exactly what kinds of moves he was capable of. Being a newbie Pokemon like his trainer, we didn't have much to work with.

"Gible, use Sand Attack!"

The tiny dragon brandished his claws, hacking away at the grass beneath him to kick up a dust cloud. It helped block out most of Empoleon's attack, but some of the bubbles still managed to strike Gible. They didn't look powerful, but it was enough to send Gible flying backwards towards me. It was a lot like when you see someone so powerful they can just flick at their opponent and send them flying. And we were the ones flying...

"Gible, rush in and Tackle!"

Already unsteady on his feet, Gible complied and started a dash towards Empoleon. To my surprise, Ruby didn't even order Empoleon to dodge the attack. I watched as Gible crashed into the larger Pokemon, but Empoleon didn't even flinch. Gible did bounce back quite a bit from the impact, though.

"Maybe it's unfair since you don't have a Pokedex of your own, but Empoleon is part Steel type. Stuff like Tackle won't even faze him." Ruby gloated from her end. She could have told me that sooner.

But this was the entire point of the battle. There was simply no way I could hope to win. We could spend all morning trying to topple her massive penguin and fail the entire time. And all Ruby had to do was sit this one out to win by default. Or order Empoleon to yawn on us and we'd lose immediately. Ruby liked to play tricks on all of us just because she was the eldest, and the only one who she was never able to trick more than once was Seth. Picturing my older brother in my mind, I tried to think what he'd do in this situation. However, even Seth wouldn't bother fighting a battle he couldn't win. He'd exhaust his own Pokemon in the process. And since he was efficient to a fault, it seemed the best course of action was just to let Ruby win.

"Fine. You win." I admitted, waving my arms to emphasize the point.

"You're giving up that quickly?" Ruby said with some shock.

"Why bother? I can't win and you know it. You just wanted to see how much I'd try, right?"

Even from a distance I could make out the curve of her lips. She put her Empoleon back into his Pokeball and walked over to me. I did the same with Gible, who looked pretty tired already.

"Saw right through me, huh?"

"You weren't trying very hard." I pointed out.

"Not every fight will be that unfair. But some will be. Winning and losing is all part of the game. Just be careful who you lose to, okay? Never lose all your Pokemon to a single person."

"But I only have one."

Ruby chuckled and gave me another pat on the head. "You'll catch more. Come on, let's get back home. I want to make sure you're all set to leave."

Yeah, it was a bit cold on the surface. But Ruby, despite being mean sometimes was always a big softie. Mom said it was her duty as the oldest sibling, but I knew friends from school who had older brothers or sisters that were just mean to them. Everything Ruby did she did with the intention of teaching us a lesson. Sometimes it didn't work, and sometimes she was probably better off just telling us the lesson than trying to teach it through some crazy plan. But I never saw Ruby be mean to any of us in as long as I can remember.

So I was happy to have her back home. There really was no better way I could think of to starting this Pokemon journey than with my sister at my side.

* * *

There were a million things you had to take into consideration when leaving on your Pokemon journey it turned out. Well, maybe not _exactly_ a million, but my initial plan fell woefully short it seemed. And here I thought I did better than Lucas when he left on his journey a few months ago!

Mom had bought me a travel bag for my birthday, and given it to me a few days ago so I could start packing ahead of time. In it, I had packed a couple potions, a brand new town map, a few spare changes of clothes, and my toothbrush. I needed to visit the store before leaving the city to pick up a few more things, but from home I thought I had everything.

Well, there was at least one thing I couldn't get at the store I still needed: my Trainer ID. Unfortunately for me, without it I wasn't allowed to start challenging Pokemon Gyms for badges. So I'd have to travel all the way to Sandgem Town first to get it before coming back home to challenge the local gym. The original plan had been for Mom to drop me off in Sandgem, since it would only take a day's ride by car. But since I already had a Pokemon, I told her I'd go on foot. It would take a lot longer, but it would give me a chance to get used to traveling on my own.

Sandgem Town was way to the south, past the Eterna Forest, Floaroma Town and Jubilife City. And a lot of road to walk between them. I almost changed my mind and let Mom take me, but stuck to my guns in the end. Now nearing midday, I was in my room making sure everything was in order before setting out. And with me checking everything was Ruby.

"If I let you leave now, you'd probably be eaten by the first Spearow swarm to spot you on the road." Ruby sighed as she looked through my bag.

"Spearow don't live in Sinnoh!" I huffed. When I was younger, Ruby and even Seth would tease me, Lucas and even Iris with Spearow. Something about them being very aggressive Pokemon in the wild.

"No, but there are wild Staraptor out there. They're worse than Spearow! Trust me." Ruby said as she finished looking through my bag. "You didn't even pack any camping gear!"

"I don't have any. I was going to go to the store before leaving. Mom gave me a bunch of money for the trip, see?" I reached into the bag and pulled out my wallet. It was almost bursting with newly acquired cash, more than I'd ever handled in my entire life! While I felt rich beyond measure, one look from Ruby dashed away that feeling almost immediately.

"I guess that should be enough..."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not buying pieces of candy for ¥50, dummy. Trainer supplies are crazy expensive! Rule #1 while you're out there: only buy what you NEED."

Suddenly my packed wallet didn't feel so packed anymore. Still, I decided not to let Ruby's critiques get the better of me. I put everything back into my bag and prepared to depart. I'd probably only get as far as Eterna Forest before dark, which wasn't too bad. It wouldn't be my first time camping out there.

Ruby and I went downstairs, where Mom was busying herself in the kitchen. Guess she was a bit more nervous about all this than she let on. When I told her I was ready to leave, she looked almost devastated. As if she didn't know this moment was coming a mile away.

"Are you going with her, Ruby?" She asked my sister.

"Nah, I think she'll be okay. Right, Mia?"

I nodded, feeling more confident than ever. "Definitely!"

"There's just one more thing!" Mom reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a small, red watch. She handed it to me, and I realized immediately what it was.

"A Poketch?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't get you a Pokegear. They're really expensive these days, something about problems in the southern regions. We can't talk with these, but we can send each other little messages with the Message App!"

I poked at the touchscreen on my new trinket, finding the app she mentioned and testing it on the spot. Mom was the only person I had registered on there, but I was certain I'd fill it with friends and people I met on the road before long.

"Thanks, Mom! I love it!"

Before I could say anything else, Mom threw her arms around me and gave me a great big hug. So big she lifted me off my feet and had me practically in a chokehold.

"I'm going to miss you so much! Please try and keep in touch, okay?"

"I will, Mom." I sighed.

"If you can call me it would be much better, too!"

"Yes, Mom."

"Are you sure you have everything you need? If there's anything else, I can-"

"Mom! It's okay, really." I cut her off, smiling the entire time. "I'll be fine."

The longer I stayed there, the worse it would be. I said one final goodbye to her, and then left the house. Well, house was a weird way to put it. We actually lived in the condominiums, so I left our condo and got outside the building. Ruby followed me the entire way.

"You be careful out there, okay?" She told me.

"I will. Are you going to stay here long?"

"Maybe a few days. I was thinking of going overseas next."

"Oh? Where to?" My eyes lit up. I know I was just barely starting my Sinnoh journey, but already I was dying to see faraway places.

"I was thinking the Kalos region. I'm thinking of getting a job there."

"Wow! Maybe I can also go there when I'm done with Sinnoh!" I beamed.

"Yeah, maybe!" Ruby laughed. "You take care, sis. I'm going to miss you."

"You didn't say that when you left last time~!" I teased. To my shock, Ruby's cheeks actually flushed a bit.

"N-No, but this time YOU'RE the one leaving! If there's anything you need, just let me know, okay? I'll have Mom tell you how to contact me once I arrive in Kalos."

"Okay. Good-bye, Ruby." I said, extending my hand to her. My sister ignored that gesture and embraced me instead.

"Good-bye, Mia."

* * *

I won't lie, I had to leave quickly before I started crying. It's not like I wouldn't see Ruby or Mom ever again, but you just can't help it, you know? Now I was truly on my own. And the first stop I had to make was the PokeMart just down the street from our condo. I stepped inside, feeling my heart race just a bit. It wasn't the first time I'd ever been here naturally, but it was the first time I was here shopping for my very own adventure alone!

"Welcome to the PokeMart!" Came the typical greeting from the store clerk. He was a teenager that I'd known longer than I can remember. He was a year older than Ruby, and had started working here a couple years back. His name was Charlie, and for the longest time Ruby had a secret crush on him.

"Hey, Charlie!" I greeted in return, a smile on my face from ear to ear.

"If it isn't little Mia! What can I do for you today?"

"Stop calling me 'little'! Today's my birthday, you know!" I puffed out my chest proudly. "I'm here to buy some things for my Pokemon journey!"

"Really?! So you're already ten years old? Man, time flies! I remember when I came here to buy stuff for myself for the first time. Need any help?"

I shook my head. "Nope! I know exactly what I need to buy! I'll be right back!"

I trotted into the store with my head held high. Charlie had often helped me pick out whatever I needed to buy, on the off-chance Mom sent me grocery shopping. I wasn't very tall- despite being ten now- so a lot of the items were out of my reach. Whenever I'd reach for a shelf that was too high, he'd chuckle, grab what I needed, and then ruffled my hair. How many times did I see strawberry blonde locks obscure my vision because of it?

But this time, I was able to reach everything I needed. Well, most everything. Though I could reach the sleeping bags if I stood on my tip-toes, I'd probably cause a mess if I pulled at them, being all packed together on the shelf. So I left it for last, gathered the rest of the items on my mental checklist, and returned to the counter.

"This everything?" Charlie asked when I placed my basket before him.

"Not everything. I need you to get me a sleeping bag off the shelf."

He laughed a bit. "Still too short to reach them, huh?"

Despite feeling my cheeks heat up, I maintained my composure somehow. "Actually, it's just a bit too heavy for me to carry. Plus, it's your job to help customers, right?"

"Sure is. Why don't you show me which bag you want, Miss Caelum?" He added in an all-too-cheery tone.

Ignoring that, I led him to the aisle and picked out a light blue bag from among the various colors. Once it was in his hands, he instead offered a pink or light purple alternative, which I turned down. I hated purple, and while pink was a super cute color, I didn't want to overdo the girliness. My bag was already pink, a color choice I wouldn't have gone with had Mom taken me shopping for it.

Charlie rang me up for everything, and I paid like any customer would. I did notice how much lighter my wallet felt afterward, but kept it to myself. After stuffing everything into my bag (which nearly caused it to explode), I slung it over my shoulder and made for the exit.

"Hey, Mia," Charlie called out just as I was walking out the door.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful out there. And here!" Without warning, Charlie tossed something at me. I reacted quick enough to catch it, it being a Pokeball.

"Happy Birthday. This one's on me." He said with a wink. Again I felt my heart race a bit and my cheeks flush.

"Th-Thank you. Good-bye!"

* * *

West of Eterna City was Route 205. One of the largest routes in all of Sinnoh, smack in the middle of it was Eterna Forest, dividing the road into two different sections. West of the city was the smaller of the two, with a pond between the city entrance and the forest. I'd often come here with my sister Iris and sometimes with friends from school. Mom never liked us coming here alone, especially since wild Pokemon could show up near the pond. A rickety old wood bridge cut right through the pond, and always you could find fishermen sitting on it with their lines in the water. Even I had gone fishing here once with my Dad. We only ever caught Magikarp, though.

Sadly, I didn't have a fishing rod with me, so my hopes of catching even a Magikarp were null. But there was a bit of tall grass between the pond and the forest, and I did have a Pokeball in my hands courtesy of Charlie. Now was the perfect opportunity to catch my first ever Pokemon. After crossing the bridge to the other side of the pond, I reached into my bag and pulled out Gible's Pokeball. I released the Pokemon, and once he had materialized, he looked up at me.

"How you doing, buddy?" I asked the small critter.

His response was a soft growl or gurgle. Despite my urge to pet him, one look at his sharp teeth made me think otherwise. I knew he wouldn't bite me, but I was still more than a bit scared of the possibility.

"We're going to try and catch a new Poke-friend. Are you ready?"

Gible nodded as if he understood me perfectly. Pokemon weren't dumb animals, but this level of understanding was still a bit shocking to me. I looked into the tall grass before us, suddenly a bit hesitant to go in. While it was most common to encounter bugs like Wurple or even a Kricketot, once in a while you'd find something like a Dustox. Mom and Dad always warned us to stay away from those. I looked back at Gible, who was ready to follow me into the grass. Would he be able to take on a Dustox?

Suddenly, the grass in front of us started rustling. I didn't even have to go looking for a Pokemon it seemed. I took a step back, while Gible instinctively took a step forward. From the grass emerged a Pokemon, a small brown fuzzy one. It was a Bidoof, its adorable buckteeth almost shining in the daylight. When I was little, Iris and I once carried a Bidoof back home. Only for Mom to get angry with us and make us release it back in the wild.

The Bidoof looked at Gible, cocking its head ever so slightly. My Pokemon looked back at me, waiting for me to issue a command.

"Gible, use Tackle!"

There was a glint in his eye, and Gible rushed the Bidoof. Sensing danger, the brown Pokemon scurried back into the tall grass. Gible followed him in, and within seconds I couldn't see either of them.

"Gible? Where are you?" I called out, hearing more rustling grass ahead. Without thinking twice, I followed the Pokemon into the grass. The grass reached up to my chest, causing my legs and arms to itch as I wade through it.

"Gible? Come back here! Gible!"

But no matter how much I called out to him, Gible wouldn't growl to let me know where he was. Had he abandoned me? This close to the start of my journey and already I'd lost a Pokemon? My _first_ Pokemon?

As my mind cycled through this, I tripped over something in the grass. Falling face first onto a soft cushion of grass blades, I looked back to see what had tripped me up. It turned out to be another Pokemon, this time a Cascoon. When Dad warned us to stay away from Dustox, he also told us to avoid Cascoon, which could evolve at any moment into a Dustox. And as my bad luck would have it, my tripping over the Pokemon caused it to start glowing. Mesmerized by the sight, I remained motionless as the Pokemon morphed into a new, larger and winged form. A Dustox emerged from the cocoon of the former evolution.

"Help! Gible!" I cried out, my legs failing me at this critical moment.

The Dustox fluttered above me for a moment, when from the tall grass something a shade of dull blue leapt out and crashed into the Dustox. It was Gible! The bug Pokemon tried desperately to remain in the air, but Gible had locked onto the critter with his giant mouth! The Dustox let out a buzz of some sort as it continued to try and shake Gible off.

"Gible! Let him go!"

Though he appeared reluctant to do so, my Pokemon obeyed my command. And just in time: Dustox began to loose some kind of purple powder from its large, green wings. This was the reason why Dad warned us to stay away from these Pokemon.

"Run, Gible!" I shouted, darting past the bug and back toward the forest entrance. I looked back a couple times, making sure Gible was right behind me, and to check for the Dustox. Surprisingly, the wild Pokemon did not chase us.

Once we were out of the tall grass, I stopped to catch my breath. Gible didn't look the least bit winded. In fact, he looked eager to keep fighting! I knelt down in front of him.

"Did you lose the Bidoof?" I asked.

Gible nodded, looking a bit disappointed in himself. I smiled, and without thinking patted him on his head.

"It's okay. We'll get another chance," I assured him. That's when I realized I had dropped something back in the grass.

"Crap! I lost the Pokeball Charlie gave me! Aww, man!" I yelled, stomping my foot a few times. I had bought a few more, but it still sucked to have lost one like that. As if sensing my anger, Gible toddled up to my leg and passed his tiny tongue over it. My frustration melted away into giggles. I sighed and knelt back down to Gible's level.

"Thanks, buddy. Guess I just have to be more careful next time."

I put Gible back into his Pokeball, and turned my attention back to the forest behind me. It was always packed with wild Pokemon, including the likes of Dustox. Once I went in, I'd have to be extra careful. And just to be safe, I kept Gible's Pokeball handy. Anything could happen in the forest once the sun set.


	2. The Mansion in the Forest

The Mansion in the Forest, Chapter II

* * *

It was as if night had fallen already. The trees of Eterna Forest covered the sky almost completely, making it hard to see where you were going. There was a beaten path leading out towards Eterna City, but beyond that was overgrown in brush and moss. And of course, tons of Bug Pokemon.

Iris had always been deathly afraid of Bug Pokemon, so in order to get her to come camping with the rest of us when we were little, Dad would clear the path ahead of all bugs. He'd do this with one of his own Pokemon: a Staravia we all nicknamed Pecky. Sometimes the bugs would fight back, but for the most part Pecky would scare them off long before we got to where we were going. So now that Pecky wasn't with me, I was a bit shocked to find so many of the critters crawling around. It was nothing like Route 205, where the Pokemon would only show up in the tall grass.

I released Gible before long. Whether or not I'd catch any of the Pokemon in the forest, I didn't want to get jumped by another Dustox. Maybe it was the wind blowing through the trees, but there was a constant rustling all around us. Not to mention it seemed a lot colder now than back outside. Probably because very little sunlight made it into the woods. Gible seemed to be shivering a bit, reminding me of his severe weakness to the cold.

"Don't worry, buddy. We'll catch a new friend as soon as possible. Then you won't have to be out as much." I told him, hoping that would warm his spirit a bit. It certainly seemed to, given his cheery growl in my direction.

We hadn't been wandering through the forest an hour before I started rubbing my arms to keep warm. One of the things I didn't bring along was a jacket or any real winter clothes to speak of. As a matter of fact, the majority of my clothes were school uniforms, since I had so many of them. The white tops and dark blue plaid skirts were cute in their own way, and perfect for warm Spring weather, which had started early this year back home. So I only had myself to blame for the lack of jackets. Instead, I pulled out a blanket I bought earlier and threw it over my shoulders. It helped a bit, but at my feet I could tell poor Gible was feeling the cold sting much more than I was.

"Come here, Gible." I called to him. The tiny dragon toddled up to me, and I knelt down so I could throw the blanket over him as well. Combined with my own body heat, I figured this would help warm him faster. He gurgled something under his breath (if that makes any sense), which I took as a thank you of sorts.

"You're welcome, buddy." I smiled.

Eterna Forest was almost as large as the route itself. It was easy to get lost here, and that was something Dad also told us a million times. I looked back the way we came, only to realize I couldn't see the exit back to Route 205. The strangest thing was I didn't even remember making any real turns so far. A quick survey in all directions only showed me the same scenery: trees. Trees here, trees there, fallen trees and moss everywhere.

"Gible, what if I told you we were lost already?" I mumbled more to myself than to him.

My Pokemon didn't really answer, but instead pushed away from me a bit and started growling at something else nearby. I rose back to my feet, trying to spot whatever he was growling at. Before long, I saw a pair of eyes glowing in the dark. They belonged to a Wurmple. The Pokemon didn't look eager to fight, but then I saw another pair of eyes. And another. And a few more. Within seconds, the trees in front of us were crawling with not only Wurmple, but also Weedle. My eyes shifted up, seeing Kakuna and Cascoon dangling from the branches. If any of those Pokemon got too agitated, they'd evolve on the spot. Gible couldn't possibly take on so many bugs alone. I slowly removed the blanket and stuffed it back into my bag.

"Gible, let's go. Slowly." I instructed with a soft voice.

I started taking a few steps backward, while Gible held his ground and kept growling. None of the bugs seemed ready to attack, probably intimidated by Gible's unusual appearance. Guess even Pokemon were wary of the unusual in their home. When I turned around, I noticed the trees behind us were also crawling with bugs. The majority were Wurmple, their golden tail barbs shining in the dim light. Those were poisonous, so I slowly backed away.

"Gible, I think we're surrounded."

Some of the Wurmple were starting to approach us. I couldn't understand why, since we weren't really doing anything to provoke them. That's when I realized Gible was still growling. He hadn't really stopped all this time. Some of the closest Wurmple were rattling their tails, reacting to Gible's hostility.

"Gible, stop that." I ordered. But he didn't. In fact, he only started to growl louder as the Wurmple approached.

"Gible, stop." I repeated with a more stern voice. This time, he listened, turning back to eye me for a second. Then when he turned back to the Wurmple in front, he noticed it had gotten a bit closer. Suddenly the small dragon practically yelled at the bug.

That's when all of the Wurmple nearby started to cry out in unison. It sounded like an intense rustling in my ears, but that's not what caught my attention. It was the fact that some of the Wurmple had charged us! I started backing away in whatever direction I could, while Gible charged ahead to deflect the bugs.

"Gible, no! Stop!" I cried out, trying to make our retreat. But Gible didn't listen, continuing his Tackle rampage on one Wurmple after another. The small bugs were clearly not a match for my Pokemon, but soon enough they were overwhelming him with sheer numbers. I watched for a moment as Gible struggled to repel them, easily shaking off any that tried to crawl onto him.

Then some of the Wurmple on the trees began shooting some kind of white fiber at Gible. It was their String Shot ability, which would slow down my Pokemon before long.

"Gible, return!"

I aimed his Pokeball, hoping to force him back with the beam. However, it was reflected by the sticky web that was already surrounding his body. I tried a few more times, but it just wouldn't work. Gible's ball of sticky string slowed more and more, until it went completely still. Wurmple started crawling over it, as if they were trying to eat through the web. Just as I was about to rush the mass of bugs to save Gible, the ball of web exploded in a spectacular fashion!

Free from his prison, Gible sprayed a sort of flame- magenta in color- all around him. This fake fire caused the Wurmple to flee in terror, but I knew exactly what it was: his Dragon Rage attack!

"Gible, use Dragon Rage again!" I called out.

Gible complied, and scared off the rest of the otherwise brave Wurmple with the attack. He managed to strike quite a few in the process, causing the Pokemon to collapse on the spot. Without thinking twice, I reached into my bag and produced a Pokeball. I threw it with the best aim I had, and it struck one of the fallen Wurmple head on. The ball popped open, converting the Pokemon into a mass of red energy before being absorbed and locked into the round device. It shook only once before locking.

I had caught my first Pokemon!

I ran over to the Pokeball and picked it up. Ecstatic, I turned to Gible to show off this accomplishment. But Gible was looking at something else. I followed his gaze up at the branches above. All the Cascoon and Kakuna began to glow. One by one, they were evolving into Dustox and Beedrill, respectively. My mouth went agape.

"Oh crap." I uttered.

A sudden swarm of buzzing came over our ears, and instinctively I started running in a random direction. Gible started after me, but he was never meant to run really fast. I swapped the Pokeball with Wurmple in it for Gible's on the fly, spun around as I ran and called my Pokemon back just as the swarm of angry bugs were about to descend on him. I put my all into the sprint, leaping over fallen trees and past overgrowth I never would have tried to get past were it not for the angry Pokemon behind me.

I ran as fast and as hard as I could, until at last I came upon a clearing in the forest. For a moment, I thought I had made it out, only to see a large and dirty mansion in front of me. It looked abandoned, but I didn't have time to really get a good look at it. The buzzing behind me got louder, so I kept running towards the front door. As I got closer, the front door swung open, and out came a girl dressed in a purple jumpsuit.

"What the?!" She called out.

"Inside!" I screamed.

The girl's eyes went wide as she saw the swarm of bugs behind me. She ran back inside, and once I was through the front door, she slammed it shut. There was a series of scratches and jabs at the door for a while, but they stopped. However, one look out the window showed the bugs were still flying around the mansion. Waiting for us to come out.

"Great. Now I'm stuck in this place." The girl sighed.

"Sorry. Thanks for the help." I chuckled nervously.

* * *

The buzzing could still be heard outside the front door. We'd been sitting in relative silence for a while, and in that entire time neither I or the girl inside there with me had said anything. Silence being golden, I took a moment to check out the foyer of the mansion.

There were two staircases leading up to the second floor, and a single doorway leading further into the mansion. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs, so it was definitely an abandoned mansion, but I was still trying to figure out why such a nice place had been abandoned. Beedrill and Dustox forest infestation notwithstanding.

"So, do you know who lives here?" I asked the girl, finally choosing to break the silence.

"No one," she answered, her voice soft but with a cold tone.

"Listen, I'm sorry about getting us stuck in here. I'm actually lucky this place was here!"

The girl chuckled. "Lucky? I don't think so."

"What do you mean?"

"It's getting dark. We'll be trapped here all night."

"What's so bad about that? If no one lives here, we can just spend the night, right? Better here than out there in the cold!" I said cheerfully. A place this big was bound to have more than a few comfy beds, even if they were old and dusty.

"Don't you get it?" She glared at me. _What was her problem?_

"Get what?" I asked, trying my best to sound as menacing as she had sounded towards me.

"Hmph. Guess you wouldn't get it. Then let me tell you: this place is haunted."

The look on her face was completely and utterly serious. She believed what she had just said, without a hint of irony. And while it wasn't polite to do so...

" _Bwahaha_! Wow, you had me going there!" I managed to say through my cackles. The girl looked to be a bit older than me, so I just assumed she was trying to scare me.

"I'm not joking!" She snapped, her cheeks a bit red from both anger and embarrassment.

"Nice try. I don't believe in ghosts." I told her, wiping a tear from my eye.

"You know there are Ghost Pokemon, right?" She said rather monotone.

"Duh! But I'm not afraid of a few Pokemon! The way you talk, you'd think there was an actual HUMAN ghost here or something!"

And then in that moment, we both heard the creaking sound of a door being opened somewhere in the mansion. And seconds later, the unquestionable sound of that same door- or perhaps another- being slammed shut. That's when I felt the chill run down my spine. Ghost Pokemon were one thing, but they had no reason to be opening or closing doors to scare us.

"What was that?" I asked, trying my best not to sound as scared as I was all of a sudden.

"The ghosts I was talking about. There's something very wrong in this mansion."

Despite mentioning this, the girl seemed eager to explore the mansion. With my help. And after being exposed to the possibility of actual human ghosts, I didn't want to leave my spot by the front door.

"How do you know those are real human ghosts?" I asked her, not once questioning how strange my inquiry was itself.

"I'm a psychic. I can feel there's something wrong here." She explained.

"A psychic? So, can you like move things with your mind?" I asked, momentarily forgetting the potential scary things beyond the foyer doors.

It looked like she wanted to answer in the affirmative, but then looked a bit down. "Not yet. That's something only the really good psychics can do."

"Well, but you can sense ghosts! That's cool!" I said, hoping to cheer her up again. "I'm Mia, by the way. What's your name?"

"Rachael." She answered, finally giving a name to the face I'd been hanging out with for some time.

"Nice to meet you!" I smiled.

"Same, I guess. Now, follow me." She ordered, heading into the doorway on the first floor just ahead.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check the place out. Come on!"

"Are you sure that's safe? What if the ghosts don't want us snooping around their stuff?" Not to mention why she didn't do that before I got here. When it was still daylight out.

"That's why we have to stick together! Come on!" She urged me on again.

And against my better judgment, I went with her. Or maybe not against it. After all, knowing there were ghosts in the mansion made me not want to be alone at all. Even if I was right by the front door, which was of little comfort while the constant buzzing of angry bugs reminded me I couldn't go outside. So I followed Rachael into the next room, finding a large dining hall.

It would have been one of the fanciest places I'd ever seen if it weren't so filthy. Cobwebs and dust lined everything, and the table looked like it had been set for a meal a long time ago. There were a few places where dishes were scattered, and some neatly organized. And in some plates scraps of moldy leftovers, though it looked like it had been there so long there wasn't even a bad smell anymore.

"Look!" Rachael cried out suddenly. I followed her finger, but she was pointing at nothing.

"What?! What is it?!" I asked right away.

"Didn't you see him?!"

"See who? Is there someone else here?" I took a quick look around the entire dining hall, but there was no one else there. Not even wild Pokemon.

"I..." Rachael went silent, moving her hands to her temple and applying a bit of pressure. "I saw someone. Or felt them."

"What do you mean?" I asked, clearly lost.

"I saw-"

Before Rachael could finish her sentence, we both felt a chill wind rush by us from the kitchen on the left side of the dining hall. Phasing through the walls and even the floor were several dark masses, which quickly took shape into various Gastly. I reached into my bag and grabbed a Pokeball, releasing Gible. Rachael took a Pokeball from her belt, and out came a yellow duck I was quite familiar with: Psyduck.

"Maybe it was them you felt?" I told Rachael.

"I-I'm certain it wasn't Pokemon..."

Regardless, we had to put the speculation on hold. The Gastly rushed us, their tongues out and ready to Lick both our Pokemon.

"Psyduck, Water Gun!"

"Gible, Dragon Rage!"

Both our Pokemon unleashed their attacks, cutting a hole in the swarm of Gastly. Some of the ghosts managed to zoom past, one of them licking Psyduck directly on the face. Another rushed Gible, but my Pokemon managed to drop flat on his face to avoid the attack. Rather than double back to try again, the Gastly kept flying forward; towards _me_.

I screamed and started running. Back out of the dining hall and into the foyer. I darted up one of the two flights of stairs, nearly tripping every few steps but somehow keeping a steady speed the whole way up. Amazing how agile you become when you're terrified of the Pokemon hot on your tail. Up on the second floor, there was one door leading into a hallway. I made a right on instinct, and ran a short ways down the hall until I turned left into one of the bedrooms. I slammed the door shut behind me, forgetting in the moment that ghosts can just float through walls.

Still I felt a bit more safe, my heart racing in my chest. My eyes remained fixed on the door, hoping with all my being the Gastly didn't find me. All the same I prepared my other Pokeball- the Wurmple I just caught moments ago- my last line of defense. But after a few moments nothing happened. I felt my heart slow a bit...

"Hello." A voice speaks behind me.

Again I scream and dart forward, putting my back against the door and holding the Pokeball up like a weapon. In front of me is a girl, her brown hair held in place with a red bow and wearing a long, elaborate white dress. She looked almost my age, but maybe a year or two younger.

"Who are you?" I asked, my heart racing faster than ever now.

The girl tilts her head slightly before answering. "My name is Etria. I live here."

"Live here? I thought this place was abandoned?"

"It's very hard to clean." She responded, as if that was the answer to the dilapidated state of the mansion. Something about her overall appearance seemed off, but in the moment I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

"What is your name?" She asked me.

"Mia...?" I answered almost hesitantly.

"Mia. Okay, I'll remember that!" She smiled, confusing me further.

"Behind you." She warned, pointing past me.

I turned around, seeing the Gastly floating through the door. I dropped the Pokeball, releasing my newly caught Wurmple. The small bug looked up at the larger Ghost Pokemon.

"Wurmple, Poison Sting!"

He leapt forward valiantly, driving his single stinger directly into the Gastly's face. It didn't look to affect the ghost much, but it was enough to cause Gastly to disappear into thin air. I remained still but vigilant, wondering if the Gastly had just vanished for a surprise attack. But moments later, only silence persisted.

"That was close." I said, trying to calm my heartbeat. I turned around, but Etria was gone. There was only one way out of the room, and she certainly hadn't gone out that way. My mind slowly put two and two together...

I started running again, sweeping Wurmple up in my arms and heading back out the hallway and into the foyer. As I ran downstairs, I saw Rachael and Gible waiting for me by the front door.

"There you are! We have to get out of here! There are too many Gastly!" Rachael told me.

"But what about the bugs outside?" I asked as I approached them.

"I think they're gone! Let's go!"

Whether or not they were, we forced open the front door and started running away from the mansion grounds. The bugs were indeed gone, so we only had to run a short distance before we were clear of that haunted place.

* * *

We set up camp somewhere in the middle of the forest. It had gotten really dark in the time we were locked in the mansion, and Rachael suggested we wait until morning before going our separate ways. I agreed with her, if only to finally catch a breather after all that running in the mansion. As we sat by the campfire, I reflected on everything that had happened so far.

"Crazy..." I mumbled to myself.

"What is?"

"Everything. You know it's my first day out here?"

"Newbie trainer? Guess that explains some things." Rachael giggled. I think that was the first time I'd seen her smile since meeting her.

"It's also my birthday. Who knew I'd get chased by bugs, ghosts and meet an actual human ghost all in the same day?" I laughed.

"Human ghost? You mean you did see him?" Rachael's eyes went wide.

"Him? You mean her."

I quickly recapped my encounter with Etria in the bedroom on the second floor. It was only after the battle with the Gastly that I realized she was a ghost, which caused me to go running out of the room.

"The ghost I saw wasn't a girl, but an old man. He was dressed in black, like a butler. But I only saw him for like a second before he vanished."

"Creepy. That mansion really was haunted. Any idea who it belonged to?"

"I don't know. I heard about the mansion in Floaroma Town, so I decided to check it out."

"Why would they just abandon the place like that?" I asked, trying to figure out this little mystery.

"Maybe they died in there. The butler and the girl. That's why they're ghosts. Maybe they lived there, and were killed by something. Or someone." Rachael hypothesized.

"Scary. Who would kill someone like that?"

"There's a lot of people who would. You should be careful. It's dangerous out here."

Rachael had warned me much the same way Mom and Ruby had when I first left home. The dangers involved in a Pokemon journey were always considered, but I always thought they were just because of wild Pokemon and stuff. But people dying? People killing each other? Were things really that dangerous?

"I know it happened far away, but there was a lot of bad stuff happening in Kanto and Johto last year. A group of bad people using Pokemon for crime." Rachael mentioned.

"I heard about it. It was on the news."

"Your Pokemon can save you, but you have to take care of them. Don't leave them behind like you did earlier."

I turned away, but I knew Rachael was right. When that Gastly started chasing me, I should have ducked or done something else. Running away how I had, and leaving Gible behind... Rachael probably helped him fight off the rest of the Gastly. But next time, there probably wouldn't be anyone around. I had to stick to my Pokemon.

"Sorry." Was all I could say.

"Don't apologize to me. Your Gible deserves that. Tough little Pokemon." She smiled.

"Yeah, he is, isn't he? He was my first Pokemon."

"Lucky you. Not everyone starts out with a Dragon type."

"A gift from my older sister. We're on our way to Sandgem Town to get my Trainer ID." I explained at last.

"Going to participate in the Pokemon League?" Rachael asked.

I nodded. "Yup! My brothers and sisters have all been trying to win, but none of them have yet. I want to be the first one of all of us to win!"

"Sounds like a great goal. I wish you good luck."

Rachael and I kept talking for a while, but it wasn't long before I started to get drowsy. I'd done more than enough running around for one day, and I felt dead tired. I wasn't even sure when I actually drifted off to sleep, but I did remember talking to my new friend up until I was completely knocked out.


	3. Sights on the Road South

Sights on the Road South, Chapter III

* * *

Morning came too quickly.

My body still felt stiff, and I had this pain in the back of my head like I'd just slept on a rock. And after packing up and putting away my sleeping bag, turns out I had. If I could find my way out of Eterna Forest but in the direction of home, I'd pick up one of my bed's pillows for the road. Never mind how annoying it would be to carry that thing around.

"You'll want to go that way," Rachael said as soon as I had packed up my bag, pointing towards some trees. Like the forest didn't have enough of those.

"Why?"

"You said you were going to Sandgem, right? That way is south, which will take you to Floaroma Town." She stated, seeming pretty sure of herself.

"How do you know? You have a compass or something?"

"I do." She said, showing me her Poketch. Sure enough, one of the various apps on the device was a compass, and the very direction she pointed was south.

"Cool! Where can I get that?"

"Ask around in Jubilife City when you pass through there. Apps for these things are very popular these days." She said with a warm smile. If she smiled more often, she wouldn't appear as such a grouch.

"Where are you going?"

"Not sure. But I've already been that way. Guess this is where we say good-bye."

That hit extraordinarily close to home for some reason. True I'd only known Rachael a day- less than a day to be exact. But we'd bonded quite well in that short time, and now we'd be going our separate ways. While it was possible we'd meet again somewhere in our travels, Sinnoh was a large place. The world was an even bigger place. I'd probably never get to see her again.

"Mia? You okay?" She asked, no doubt seeing the distress on my face.

"You think we'll ever see each other again?" I asked solemnly.

Rachael smiled, but shrugged at the same time. "Don't know."

"I thought you were a psychic?" I teased.

Rachael put her hands to her temple again, as if focusing real hard. "The future is fuzzy."

"Nice try. But thanks anyway. Loser."

"Says the loser with no Trainer ID." She jabbed back.

"Hey! I'm working on it!" I shot back with a pout.

"Make sure you do. There's a lot of places that you can only get into with your Trainer ID. Not to mention without it, you can't use the Pokemon Storage System."

That little tidbit I actually knew, thanks to so many siblings before me. It was a digital storage system for Pokemon League sanctioned trainers to store their Pokemon. You were only allowed to carry six critters with you at any time, any extras had to be transferred to the storage system. While you _could_ carry more Pokemon with you, it was technically illegal, and you could get into trouble for it with the police. Don't ask me why, though.

"I should get going. It was nice meeting you." Rachael said, her few things packed and slung over one shoulder.

"Wait! Do you want to share numbers? For the Message app on the Poketch?" I brought up my device, which I seemed to forget was always on my left wrist.

"Sure, why not? We can keep in touch."

We fiddled with the devices a bit, realizing neither of us really knew how to add one another. But after a while we managed it, and I'm sure we both made mental notes on how to do it for future friends. Finally, we said our good-byes, even if we were going to stay in touch digitally. Rachael seemed to be headed in the direction of Eterna City, almost making me want to follow her to see home again.

Within minutes she was gone, her purple jumpsuit completely vanished amongst the trees. This is what my own adventure would be like. I'd meet people, battle with them, become friends, and then we'd always go our separate ways. Even if I ended up meeting my own brothers or sisters out here, we wouldn't travel together for very long if at all.

A Pokemon journey was a solo affair. A very sad thought, I realized.

* * *

"Wurmple, Poison Sting!"

My small red bug rushed the Caterpie, driving the stinger on its head right into the green bug opponent. The Caterpie cried out in pain, the poison taking effect almost immediately.

"Finish with a Tackle!"

Giving the Caterpie no chance to even recoil from the previous attack, Wurmple threw his entire body against the Caterpie, sending it flying backwards. Within seconds, the wild Pokemon was completely fainted.

"Good work, Wurmple!" I cheered my own Pokemon on. The small bug gave itself a victory cry of sorts before crawling back towards me. I knelt down and fed him a leaf I'd picked up off the ground. It probably wasn't much in the way of a treat, but Wurmple seemed to enjoy it all the same.

"You've been taking care of all the bug Pokemon we run into, boy. Think you'll evolve soon?" I asked him. Of course, the small bug didn't know how to answer, and just continued munching on the leaf. Bug Pokemon were well known for evolving quickly, and if anything my encounters the previous day proved that.

Another thing was the question of what Wurmple would evolve into. So far, I'd only seen Cascoon and Dustox in the forest (both of which I'd been avoiding carefully). Wurmple were capable of also evolving into Silcoon, and then into a Beautifly. Neither of which I'd seen since entering the forest. They weren't very common in the past, either, when I'd gone camping with Dad. Maybe the Wurmple of the forest liked becoming Dustox instead?

Having a Dustox of my own would be cool, but I really wanted a Beautifly instead. The reason I was working Wurmple so hard was to see what he'd evolve into. That, and the fact that Gible seemed to be quite capable of handling his own in a fight already.

After Wurmple finished his snack, we continued through the forest. It had been mostly featureless up until now, when we stumbled across a very large rock covered in green moss. There wasn't much else to it, but the fact that it was in a clearing surrounded by trees caught my attention. Though Wurmple wanted to crawl onto it once he saw it, I held him back by swooping him into my arms. Clearings might be a trap set up by bugs.

And sure enough, once we stepped out into it, we heard a rustling coming from nearby. I put Wurmple down and prepared to release Gible as well, just in case. But it wasn't a wild Pokemon that emerged from some shrubs, but a person. It was a girl dressed in what looked like a school uniform. She also had a school backpack with her.

"Oh! Hello!" She greeted me.

"Hi. Who are you?" I asked.

"My name's Briana. Are you also here for the moss rock?"

I glanced at the large rock for a second. "Not really? I just found it."

"Oh! You're not from my school are you?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm Mia, and I'm a Pokemon Trainer."

"I'm sorry! I thought that was one of the underclassmen uniforms." She laughed. My outfit was a school uniform, that much was true, so I could understand her confusion.

"What's the moss rock for?" I asked, glancing at it again.

"Well, it's a special kind of rock used for Pokemon evolution. It's a lot like a Leaf Stone, which is used to evolve some Pokemon like Gloom. But a bit different." She explained. Not that it helped much.

"So if a Pokemon touches it, they evolve?"

"Not all Pokemon. One of the most famous examples is Eevee into Leafeon. Even Pokemon scientists don't know why they don't just evolve using a Leaf Stone."

I looked back at the rock, feeling a bit more intrigued by the mystery. I even considered chipping off a piece of the moss or rock, in case I ever caught an Eevee of my own. My sister Iris started her adventure with an Eevee, which always made me jealous. It was one of my favorite Pokemon.

"You said you were a trainer, right?" Briana asked, breaking my concentration.

"Yeah, why?"

The girl reached into her backpack and pulled out a Pokeball adorned with stickers. "I challenge you to a battle!"

This was my first real Pokemon battle. Ruby was like training wheels; now, I had to give it my absolute all. I only had two Pokemon, one of which had been working real hard all morning. Fortunately, Briana only had one, so I at least had that advantage. I chose to open with Wurmple, and Briana released her Pokemon: Pachirisu.

The battle began.

"Pachirisu, start with Charm!"

"Wurmple, Poison Sting!"

Wurmple rushed in, stinger first towards Pachirisu. The small squirrel Pokemon gave a small cry and the most adorable wink that somehow caused Wurmple's charge speed to drop. Still my Pokemon struck head on, driving his stinger right into Pachirisu's belly. The attack didn't seem to have caused a lot of damage.

"Do it again, Wurmple!"

"Pachirisu, Quick Attack!"

Wurmple dove in again, but Pachirisu jumped out of harm's way and came crashing down atop Wurmple, faster than either of us could possibly react.

"Wurmple, slow him down with String Shot!"

"Pachirisu, block it with Spark!"

Wurmple turned around and sprayed his opponent with the sticky web. However, Pachirisu's body began to emit an electric charge, burning up the sticky web before it even came into contact with him. Wurmple kept spraying the web fiber, even though Pachirisu was nullifying it.

"Pachirisu, ram into him with Spark!"

Briana's Pokemon slowly closed the distance between Wurmple. I wouldn't get another chance, so this move had to be the deciding action.

"Wurmple, one more Poison Sting!"

My little red bug stopped his previous attack, and again dove in with his stinger. Even though Pachirisu's body was still electrified, he managed to connect his attack. It cost Wurmple, however, as he was sent flying back by the electric shock. It was risky, but Wurmple's last strike had caused Pachirisu to become poisoned!

"Oh no! Are you okay, Pachirisu?" Briana called out to her Pokemon. Pachirisu was still on her feet, but with the poison working its effect, she wouldn't last very long if I kept the battle going.

Wurmple crawled back to me, his body quite bruised from the battle. It was a wonder he'd made it this far all things considered. I knelt down in front of him and pulled one of the few potions from my bag.

"You did great, buddy. Here, this should help." I told him as I applied the potion to his body.

"Umm, how about we call it a draw?" Briana said with a weak chuckle. Guess even she realized it would be a losing battle from now on.

"That's fine! It was a great battle!" I told her, a smile on my face.

Briana put away her Pachirisu, and then walked over to me. "Your Wurmple is really strong! I didn't think he could stand a chance against Pachirisu."

"Well, we did lose. One more hit and Wurmple would've been knocked out completely. Guess I should've used my other Pokemon, huh?"

"Maybe! But then I might've lost!" She giggled. "So where are you going?"

"Sandgem Town. I have to see Professor Rowan to get my Pokedex."

"Oh! So cool! I wish I could go on an adventure like you." Briana sighed.

"Why can't you? You're older than 10, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm enrolled in a Pokemon Academy."

"Oh, is it like Elements Academy in Fiore?" I asked, thinking of my older brother Seth.

"I'm not sure if it's exactly the same, but basically it's school with Pokemon stuff instead of regular school stuff. Takes a bit longer to finish than an adventure, but they help you get into the Pokemon League tournament. Which I heard is getting really hard to do."

"Why?" Trying out my luck in the League Tournament was the entire reason I was out on my adventure. To learn now that things might not go according to plan was certainly a problem.

"I don't know, but there's a rumor that the League is in trouble or something. Didn't you hear about Hoenn?"

 _Hoenn_. Last autumn, there had been an incident at the Battle Frontier in the Hoenn region. Something about a crime group attacking the place, and trying to catch a legendary water Pokemon. They were stopped, but because of it they canceled the Pokemon League Tournament that season in not only Hoenn, but Kanto and Johto as well. Nothing had happened near Sinnoh, but since Indigo Plateau in Kanto and Johto is the League headquarters, I guess it made sense that it would mess things up for us in Sinnoh.

"So has the tournament here been canceled this season?" I asked.

Briana shrugged. "I don't know. There was a rumor last month that the Spring tournament had been canceled. But Spring's barely begun, so I guess there's still time for them to change that? Are you trying to enter?"

"Yeah, if I can collect the eight badges in time! It would suck if I got them all and couldn't even enter and have to wait until the end of the Summer instead!"

"Want to ask someone from the League yourself?" Briana offered.

"You mean you know someone from there?!"

"No, but I know someone who might! You'd have to go to Floaroma Town first."

"I was heading there anyway! Let's go!" I responded cheerfully.

I put Wurmple back into his Pokeball, and then followed Briana south. She knew the way out of the forest from here, so it saved me the trouble of wandering around another day or two. And the entire time I wondered: who was it I'd be talking to in Floaroma Town?

* * *

Unfortunately for us both, because of several swarms of bugs moving through the forest, it took us a bit longer than expected to finally escape the Eterna Forest. By the time we were back out in the sunlight, it was close to sundown, and the road to Floaroma Town was still a long march. Briana said we probably wouldn't make it back until nightfall, at the earliest. And that estimate didn't account for the trainers that called the rocky road south their home (and thus Pokemon battles all along the way).

"So we have to camp out another day?" I asked, ready to find a cozy spot to start a campfire.

"Nope!" Briana laughed. "We can stay at Elizabeth's!"

"Who's Elizabeth?"

Briana pointed out a small house just a short hike down from the entrance to Eterna Forest. "She lives there. She has a pretty big house that she uses to let trainers and travelers rest for free."

"Free? Are you sure?"

Briana nodded. "There's a lot of really nice people on the road. And there's no harm in asking if you can spend the night when you find someone's house, right?"

Maybe it's because Briana didn't travel herself, but I sure wouldn't want to just knock on some stranger's door and ask to spend the night. If I were the stranger, I wouldn't let me stay. Not to mention all this was contrary to what I'd heard from Ruby and Rachael just yesterday. So which was true?

"Are you sure we can trust Elizabeth?" I asked before following Briana.

"Of course! I've stayed at her place a dozen times! Let's go!"

Briana certainly didn't _seem_ deceptive. Then again, I doubt she even knew the meaning of the word. I started after her, figuring if push came to shove, I could just beg out of staying and make camp somewhere else on Route 205.

We arrived at Elizabeth's house just as the sun vanished from the sky. Briana knocked a few times, and before long the door opened. On the other side was a really nice looking lady, her long dark hair combed neatly and a waft of perfume or flowers or something flowing from her house.

"Briana! It's so great see you again!" She greeted my traveling companion.

"I know! I stopped by this morning but you weren't here."

"I was in town! I guess we missed each other on the way." Elizabeth giggled. Then she looked past Briana and saw me standing there. "And who is this?"

Briana motioned for me to come closer, which honestly didn't inspire much confidence. "This is Mia. I met her in the forest. She's a Pokemon Trainer, on her way to town. We got stuck in the forest a bit, so we were wondering if you'd let us stay the night?"

"If it's no trouble?" I added from where I remained stationary.

"Not at all! Come inside! The nights are still very chilly this time of year!"

Elizabeth moved out of the doorway, letting us finally enter her home. Briana went in first of course, and I followed just seconds after. I didn't want to seem rude at this point, and Elizabeth certainly didn't seem like a bad person. Once inside, I got to see just how nice her home really was. Tons of flowers and potted plants lined the walls and windowsills, a botanical aroma all around us. It honestly smelled just like a flower garden if you got in real close and took a big whiff of the flowers.

"It's so pretty!" I couldn't help but comment.

"Thank you, Mia! Do make yourself at home. There's a spare bedroom right over there if you want to lie down. Briana, you can sleep on the futon tonight."

Briana didn't look very content with the suggestion, but I guess they wanted to make me a bit more comfortable being the newcomer. Of course, sleep wasn't on my mind at the moment. Aside from a meal which I could really use, my thoughts turned to the person I was supposed to be talking to in Floaroma Town.

"Hey, do you think I'll still be able to ask about the League tomorrow?" I asked Briana.

"Probably. There's someone from the League visiting the town now. I don't think she'll be leaving for a while."

"Are you going to participate in the Pokemon League?" Elizabeth asked me in turn.

I nodded.

"There was actually something on the news about it earlier. They said the tournament was going to be held as planned at the end of the season."

"Really?! So they're not going to cancel it?" I asked, my eyes lit up.

"Apparently not. Cynthia herself appeared in an interview to confirm it."

 _Cynthia_. I knew the name well. Heck, every Pokemon Trainer in Sinnoh should. She was the current champion, and many said she was the best champion out of all the regions on the continent. Those were just popular rumors, but after seeing her battle one time on TV, I was willing to believe it. To think that if I won the tournament in a few months, I'd have a chance to battle her! Well, that's if I could beat the Elite Four first. All I had on me now were two Pokemon, so I was a _long_ way from any of that.

"Good for you, Mia! I was telling her on the way that because of all the trouble in Hoenn, they might cancel the tournament." Briana chipped in.

"Cynthia said the same thing. But they dealt with that Team Rocket at the Hoenn Battle Frontier, so everything is back to normal now down there. It was several months ago, and there hasn't been any news about them from the region."

The two continued to talk about that, while I let my mind wander off. What was going on in other parts of the world didn't really concern me, anyway. As long as my own adventure wasn't interrupted by Team Rocket or whatever, it didn't matter to me. I guess that meant I didn't have to talk to that person in Floaroma Town, and could just cut through to Jubilife City. I was really desperate to get my ID so I could start challenging gyms. I also needed to practice my battling so I could beat all the Gym Leaders.

After a short while of listening to them in the background, I excused myself to the room lent to me to get ready for bed. Elizabeth was kind enough to make us soup, which didn't fill a lot but was better than the snacks and junk foods I had packed. In the one day I hadn't slept in a bed, I already missed the feeling.

I took full advantage, figuring there would be days in the future where the cold, hard ground was all I'd have to rest for the next day of adventuring.

* * *

Though I had no reason to stop in Floaroma Town anymore, or even travel with Briana, I ended up doing both. She knew a few shortcuts through Route 205, all of which allowed us to sneak past the main road where all the Pokemon Trainers hung out to battle. If we went through there, it would have taken us all day to get back to town.

"But I thought the entire point of being a trainer was to battle others?" I asked her at some point along the way.

"Well, yeah! But you tell me: do you want to battle a dozen trainers, one right after another?" She asked in return.

Truthfully, I didn't have much of a problem with it. "That's why I'm on my adventure," I shrugged.

"Think about your Pokemon! They're the ones who have to do all that battling!" Briana cried.

"Oh. Right..." My voice trailed off. After that I didn't bring the issue up again. If there was no other choice, I'd have to do battle sure. But just yesterday I had been working Wurmple really hard in an effort to get him to evolve. He hadn't complained, but would he have? The question lingered on my mind the rest of the way to Floaroma Town.

Much like Elizabeth's house, the small town smelled entirely of flowers and nature in general. There were no dirt roads like the one on Route 205, just grassy paths. And where there wasn't grass, there were flowers. Of all kinds, all colors, just flowers everywhere! And even in the air there seemed to be an endless parade of flower petals dancing in the wind. It was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen.

"First time?" Briana asked me, though I was sure she could guess the answer by the look on my face.

"Yeah! We've passed by here before, but never through the town! It's amazing!"

Visits to Jubilife City were common as a family, but as my siblings left on their Pokemon journeys, it eventually dwindled to just Mom and myself. I knew there was a town here always, but since Mom always said it was too small to pay a visit, we never stopped by. How little she knew! Or maybe she was saving it for when I came here by myself? A question I'd definitely have to ask her next time!

"If you've got nothing else to do, why not stop by the flower shop with me?" Briana offered, pointing to one of the larger buildings in town. There weren't many, making me wonder why so few people wanted to live in a place this pretty.

"Well, I really wanted to get going..." I said, a bit conflicted.

"Right! Sandgem for your ID, right?"

I nodded.

"Then how about just a quick stop? They're usually giving away free stuff! Can't say no to that, right?" Briana urged with a sly wink.

Free is good, after all, so I agreed. She grabbed me by the hand and dragged me to the shop. The sign was small and by the door, but in the shape of a bouquet of flowers.

"'Pick a Peck of Colors'? That's a weird name." I mentioned just as we were entering.

"Welcome! How can we help you?" A simultaneous greeting from two women running the shop.

"Hi!" Briana greeted back.

"Welcome back! What are you looking for today?" Seems they knew Briana. I began to wonder if she lived in the town or just visited a lot. Her school didn't seem to be here given the small town size.

"Well, nothing today. I'm just bringing a friend who's a new trainer! This is Mia!"

Without much fanfare, Briana pushed me to the forefront and I was expected to say something. I somehow managed a "Hello" before taking a step back.

"Congratulations! So you came to learn about berries?" One of the two women asked.

"Berries? Like the kinds that grow on trees?" I had seen them before, since there was a berry tree just outside Eterna City. My sister Iris used to eat them, even though Mom constantly told her not to since they were for Pokemon.

"Trainers and non-trainers alike all over Sinnoh plant berries in soft patches of soil. Over time, they grow into trees that bear tons of berries for Pokemon to enjoy in the wild!"

"And not just wild Pokemon!" The other woman cut in. "Trainers pick some as well, since most berries are great natural remedies for a lot of ailments that can befall your Pokemon while on the road!"

"Like this berry for example!" The first woman produced a berry seemingly out of thin air. "This is a pecha berry, which is a natural remedy for poison. Take one!"

I took the pink berry, and from it came the sweetest aroma. I suddenly understood why Iris liked to snack on these as much as she did. Though the kind she would eat weren't the same.

"And here, this is a cheri berry!" The other woman handed me a much smaller, red one this time. "This can cure your Pokemon's paralysis! Very handy if you happen to run into any Mareep nearby!"

"Mareep?"

"Oh yeah! This is the season, right?" Briana piped up.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know those fluffy sheep Pokemon? They pass through this route and like to hang around the Valley Windworks this time of year. They come in swarms, too, so a lot of trainers in the area like to stock up on Paralysis Heal and cheri berries."

"Really?! Where's the Valley Windworks?" I asked, eager to rush over there at once. Mareep were among my favorite Pokemon in the world (and I even owned a super fluffy Mareep pillow back home), so the chance to catch one this early in my adventure couldn't be passed up.

"It's just east of here. Remember how we entered town? Just head straight out. Follow the wind."

After thanking the two ladies running the shop, I left with Briana. Though I invited her to come with me, she turned me down this time. A resident of Jubilife City, she said she had to go back home to finish her assignment for school. She also wasn't a trainer and didn't have a Poketch, so sadly I couldn't trade contact info with her. Still, I thanked her for all her help, and with any luck we'd run into each other when I passed by Jubilife later on. With that said, I followed the windy path east to catch my third Pokemon!

* * *

 _To: Mom_

 _Hi! I'm visiting the Valley Windworks today! I haven't gotten to Sandgem Town yet, but there's going to be Mareep here! I miss you a bunch!_

* * *

"Ecological, Wind-Driven Energy." I read off a sign a short ways from the main building. It wasn't a very long hike here, taking a bit more time than usual because of the strong breeze pushing me back. Surrounding the windworks were tons of turbines, all spinning steadily as they gathered wind and converted it to electricity. I remember learning in school that most of Eterna City's power came from this very factory. Sadly, a school trip here was canceled because of a Pokemon swarm on Route 205 when I was eight.

I figured the wind blew down from Mt. Coronet, making me wonder if someday I'd be able to stand at the top of the mountain myself and look down on the whole Sinnoh region. Maybe even see as far south as Fiore or even Kanto! Of course, these dreams were still a long way off, and I had to start by catching a Pokemon here. There was a large field of grass nearby, and covering most of it was a swarm of fluffy white Pokemon: Mareep. All I had to do was find one of my liking and catch it!

I released Gible, since he was part Ground type and would be immune to any electrical attacks from the Mareep. Now all that was left to do was get one of the Mareep to separate from the herd. They always looked like peaceful and fluffy Pokemon, but I also didn't want the whole herd to get angry and start a stampede.

"What do you think, Gible? How do we get one of them to come this way?" I asked my small Pokemon companion. He replied with his usual growl. Or was it a gurgle this time?

"I've never seen Mareep get angry. On TV, they always look so peaceful and friendly. Do you think they'd stampede if they got scared?"

Gible growled. Some help he was. I turned my attention back to the herd of sheep, and decided to go with my instincts on this one.

"Gible, stay here until I call you." I ordered, standing up and walking slowly towards the closest Mareep.

Not a few steps later a few of them turned their attention towards me. For a split second I got scared, wondering if I should turn around right there. But I pressed onward, looking as determined as I could. The Mareep didn't seem nervous, or that they even cared that I was getting close. They all continued grazing silently even as I stopped right in front of one of them.

"Hey there." I said to the little blue sheep. Their wool was white with a slight tint of yellow, and it looked so soft that you just wanted to touch it. So I slowly reached out and passed my hand over the wool, feeling not only the softness but also a slight zing as I stroked it.

"It feels funny. You guys are Electric types, huh?" I giggled. The Mareep didn't seem to mind either way, and just took another mouthful of grass. Forgetting any sense of danger I had before, I called out to Gible to join me.

When Gible approached, a few of the Mareep seemed a bit more on edge, but when he took a place at my side, they seemed to calm down again. Either they weren't used to being attacked, or the combination of the cool breeze and the fresh grass was simply too divine to pass up.

"I think we can catch any of these Mareep, buddy. Which one do you think we should take?" I asked Gible.

With a grunt and then a snarl of some sort, Gible waddled his way through the herd. I lost sight of him, but could still track him by keeping an eye on the Mareep that would move slightly to one side, probably to put a bit of distance between themselves and the foreign Pokemon. After a few moments, Gible cried out, so I wade through the herd to join up with him.

Among the many Mareep was one Gible had decided on. It looked the same as the rest, except being just a bit smaller. I wish I knew if it was a boy or girl, but without a Pokedex I wouldn't be able to tell. Still, I had an inclination it was a girl. Might have been the size, though.

"Why this one?" I asked Gible. All he had to "say" was a garble.

Trusting his Pokemon instincts, I reached into my bag and pulled out a Pokeball. A few of the Mareep around us seemed to recognize the device, and let out a few _baaas_ before scurrying away. The smaller Mareep I was going to catch didn't. Without much fanfare, I dropped the ball on her back, and within seconds she was sucked into the Pokeball. It shook once before going silent.

I picked the Pokeball up and all I could say was, "Huh."

Gible growled at me, as if to ask, "What?"

"Just... weird. I didn't expect it to be this easy to catch one of my favorite Pokemon." I said with a shrug.

But for better or worse, that was that. I put Mareep's Pokeball back into my bag, returned Gible back to his Pokeball, and started back towards Floaroma Town. It would be a short march before turning south again, and then a long road down a slope to reach Jubilife City.


	4. An ID of Her Own

An ID of Her Own, Chapter IV

* * *

To my surprise, there weren't many trainers hounding the road to Jubilife City that day. That wasn't to say I didn't have any challengers. Two of the fights were way too easy to even bring up, but the third did come a bit close. And if that wasn't close enough, the majority of the wild Pokemon were Starly, which meant I couldn't put Wurmple to work out there. I was really trying to get him to evolve as quickly as possible. The suspense of whether he'd evolve into a Beautifly or Dustox was driving me crazy.

The one battle that caught me off-guard was against a boy around my age. I was about half-way through Route 204 towards Jubilife when I heard him call out to me from the side of the road. At his side was a Starly, and it looked like he was just finishing up lunch.

"You're a trainer, right?" He asked me right away.

"Yeah, but I don't have an ID yet." Though it hadn't been my intention, mentioning this allowed me to skip at least two battles on the road so far. The trainers that had turned me down after hearing this said it was about the League rules. That was a rule I wasn't too familiar with, but if skipping a battle here and there got me to Sandgem Town sooner I was willing to use it.

"Really? Well, I don't care. If you still want a battle I'm ready!"

I laughed a bit, since it was the boy who had challenged me in the first place. "Sure! My name is Mia."

"I'm Tyler. Two on two, okay?"

With the rules in place, we moved off the road and near some trees where Tyler had been eating a moment ago. He seemed ready to go with his Starly, so I reached into my bag for one of my Pokemon. My first intention was to release Gible, but he had been fighting the wild Starly all day as well as the other trainers. So instead I released Mareep. It would be her first fight.

"Oh wow! Where did you get one of those?" Tyler asked me.

"The Valley Windworks! There's a whole bunch of them there."

"Cool! Maybe I'll go right after I beat you!" He smiled, seemingly sure of himself.

Mareep definitely had the type advantage, since Flying Pokemon were weak to Electric types. This didn't seem to faze Tyler, and he immediately started the battle strong.

"Starly, Quick Attack!"

His small bird took to the air, swooping about at tremendous speed before diving at Mareep. My Pokemon couldn't move out of the way in time, so she took the full force of the attack. To be honest I wasn't even sure if Mareep had tried to dodge the attack. She seemed really slow and lazy.

"Mareep, hit him with Thundershock!"

The two small horns on her head began to glow, and the rest of her wool let out small sparks as she unleashed a bolt of lightning at Starly. Tyler's Pokemon dodged the attack without much trouble, though.

"Starly, Wing Attack!"

In the same motion, Starly dove in on Mareep once more, pounding my Pokemon with several slaps from its small, dark wings. Mareep took a few steps back, trying to shrug off the blow.

"Mareep! Are you okay?" I called out. My sheep turned to face me, looking a bit tired but still willing to fight. However, her movements reminded me of a Slowpoke, so I knew she wouldn't be able to take out Starly with another long range attack.

"Starly, Quick Attack!"

"Mareep, get ready!"

Confident, Starly put some distance between itself and Mareep before diving in again. The bird was moving fast, so I had to make sure to time my command perfectly.

"Now! Thundershock!"

Again Mareep's horns began to glow, and her wool let out sparks as she charged up her attack. Starly managed to land his hit again, but this time the bird was blasted with a bolt of electricity before it could escape. After the light show ended (where I was certain I could make out Starly's skeleton), he fell to ground. I could even make out the faint trace of a well-cooked meal. That bit did make me feel a little guilty.

"Starly! Return!" Tyler cried out, bringing his Pokemon back to the safety of its Pokeball. Mareep had taken a few hits, but she was still battle capable. Now I waited for Tyler to pick his next Pokemon.

Turning to a small pond nearby, he released another Pokeball into it. One the red flash of the device had subsided, I saw that the Pokemon was actually a Magikarp.

"Really?" I couldn't help but say out loud.

"D-Don't you make fun of my Pokemon! He's just as tough as any of yours!" Tyler snapped back defensively.

"Sorry..." Though in fact I wasn't. Back when I used to fish in the lake outside Eterna City with my dad, all we ever caught were Magikarp. Dad always said they weren't even good Pokemon for battle, and because of their super hard scales you couldn't even eat them. I didn't like fish a lot anyway, so that didn't matter to me. But what I always remembered about them was how they'd just flop around when you caught them. And if you threw them back into the water, all they did was just swim around without doing anything.

"Well? Go on!" Tyler called out.

"Huh?"

"You first!"

I wasn't sure why he wanted me to attack first. His Magikarp needed every advantage it could take. Plus, Tyler had to know that a single Thundershock from Mareep would probably finish his red fish in a single blast. Still, I wasn't about to turn down an easy win.

"Mareep, Thundershock!"

The horns glowed, her wool charged and Mareep launched another bolt directly at Magikarp inside the small pond. I almost felt sorry for any other Pokemon who called it their home, because the attack would probably strike everything inside. Magikarp cried out in pain as the electricity coursed through him, and once the attack dissipated he just floated there belly up.

"Oh god... is he okay?" I asked immediately. However, Tyler didn't seem the least bit fazed.

"You'll see..."

Confused, I turned back to Magikarp. Sure enough, his entire body went from charred to glowing. It changed from the small fish form into something much, much larger. He was evolving! I took a step back, as did Mareep in front of me. When the evolution had finished, a massive blue dragon serpent towered over me. It was a Gyarados, a Pokemon I knew very well from watching various Pokemon programs on TV.

"Finally! Now you'll see just how strong Gyarados is!" Tyler boasted.

"Mareep, Thundershock again!"

Perhaps driven by a sudden fear, Mareep launched her electric attack much faster than before. It struck Gyarados head on, causing the massive Pokemon to cry out in pain.

"Hey! Wait that's no fair!" Tyler yelled. But it was too late.

Once the attack finished, even the mighty Gyarados looked charred and spent. He crashed down in front of both Mareep and Tyler opposite her. Seems Tyler hadn't expected Mareep's first attack to hurt his Magikarp so much. Even after evolving, Gyarados probably wasn't at full strength. One other thing Tyler overlooked was that Gyarados, despite _looking_ like a dragon, wasn't one. It was technically part Water, part Flying; the combination of which made it really susceptible to Electric attacks.

Defeated, he put his newly evolved Pokemon back into its Pokeball.

"You're really good," he admitted, though it seemed to hurt him to do so.

"I just got lucky." I stuck my tongue out playfully. "Maybe if you had started attacking right away you might have won."

Tyler chuckled weakly. "Yeah. But it was a good match. Are you going to join the League Tournament?"

"Yeah. I still need to get my ID and then collect all the badges, but I plan to join and win!" I proudly delcared.

"Good luck! I want to join too, so maybe we'll fight again some day!"

"Yeah, definitely!" I offered Tyler a handshake, which he accepted.

After saying good-bye, we went our separate ways. It surprised me that even when his Pokemon were down, he continued onward towards Floaroma Town. Figuring he had others to cover him, I didn't say anything and pressed on south. It would still be a couple hours before I got to Jubilife City, after all.

* * *

When I finally got to the outskirts of the city, it was close to nightfall. I even got to see most of the city light up as the last of the sunset faded and the sky turned dark.

A night in Jubilife wasn't new for me, but I wasn't able to go out in the middle of the night like I was today. Mom always insisted that we stay in our hotel room during those visits. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to stay at the same hotel as usual, since I probably couldn't afford it now. That didn't matter to me much, because I was looking forward to sleeping at the Pokemon Center like a true trainer anyway!

As I wandered the streets in search of the Pokemon Center, I took in the familiar yet still mesmerizing sights of the city lit up at night. Jubilife very much resembled a neon sign, most every building glowing some outlandish shade in an attempt to get your attention. The largest of these was also the largest building in the city. I'd never been there before, nor did I know what it even was. All I knew is that it towered over everything else in Jubilife, with a massive antenna of some sort pointing directly into the sky.

I stopped at a street intersection, the light red to tell the pedestrians not to cross as cars made their way across the streets. Maybe it was just me, but it felt like the city was getting crowded the closer I got to that center building.

"Hey! Are you a trainer?" Someone asked just as I was looking up at that tower. He was a boy, a bit older than me probably, and sporting a belt with a few Pokeballs on it.

"Almost! I'm just passing through to get my ID from Professor Rowan. I'm Mia!" I introduced myself with a cheery smile.

"I'm Ben. I was going to challenge you to a battle, but I don't think I'm allowed to if you don't have your ID yet." He chuckled.

"That didn't stop the trainers on the road here," I sighed, though it was mostly a joke. "If I knew it would be this crazy to just get my ID, I would have asked my mom to drive me to Sandgem Town."

"But then you wouldn't have been able to visit the GTS!" Ben said, pointing out the largest building I had just been eyeing a moment ago.

"GTS? What does that stand for?"

"You haven't heard? Dude, it's the Global Trade Station! You have GOT to check it out!" He practically screamed, causing a few people to look our way. Just then, the light went green, allowing us to cross at last.

"It's something to do with trading Pokemon, right?" I asked as we made it across the street.

"Yeah! Want to check it out? I'll explain all about it on the way if you want." He offered, pointing down a different street than the one I had planned on taking.

"Sure, why not? Could you show me to the Pokemon Center after?"

"No problem! Let's go!"

Ben was a crazy guy in his own right, but his craziness stemmed entirely from Pokemon. And from the GTS, apparently. It took him a while to calm down enough to actually explain to me what it was.

"Before, if you wanted to trade Pokemon with someone, you had to do it like in a Pokemon Center with the machine or just a person to person trade. Kinda boring, huh?"

I shrugged. "It's always been that way, right?"

"Not anymore! Last year, they opened the RTS, or the Regional Trade Station. It was the first of its kind, a place where you could trade Pokemon with ANYONE throughout the entire Sinnoh Region! I'm sure you heard about that!"

I actually had. It was quite a big event last Spring, just after I'd turned nine. I remember being so jealous of my sister Iris, who was lucky enough to show up on TV during the grand opening of the place. I just never realized it was the same building in Jubilife City.

"Anyway, the creator of the Pokemon Storage System was hard at work on a way to trade Pokemon with anyone else in the world. Could you imagine? No matter where they lived, Sinnoh, Kanto, Hoenn, Unova? You could trade with them in the blink of an eye!"

That was a pretty cool thing, and I also remember the Pokemon League being against it for some reason. "So are you going to trade some Pokemon there?"

"Yup! I caught a Bidoof today that I plan to offer to someone in Unova or Kalos! They aren't common there, so I'm sure I'll get something rare in return!"

Maybe it was because I'd only been a trainer for a few days (if unoffically), but the thought of just catching a Pokemon for the sake of trading it felt wrong to me. Ruby and Iris always talked about how Pokemon were more than just your ticket to battle, but your friends on your adventure. So giving one away in a trade always felt like an important decision. Yet Ben was going to give away a Pokemon he just caught to someone he didn't even know?

"Don't you feel sorry for him?" I asked.

"For who?"

"Bidoof. He probably hasn't gotten a chance to get to know you yet."

But Ben just shrugged. "I just wanted something to trade with, and I didn't want to give away any of my other Pokemon. What's wrong with that?"

I sighed, this time for real. I could have pressed the issue, but kept quiet instead and just followed Ben as we turned a corner. At last we were able to see the entrance to the GTS for ourselves.

"It's amazing, isn't it? It opened like a week ago, so everyone's trying to get in and make a trade! Hopefully we won't have to wait long!"

"Listen, I think I'm going to the Pokemon Center instead." I told him, not wanting to mingle with that crazy crowd anymore.

"What? Aren't you going to trade something as well?" He asked me.

"I only have my first Pokemon and haven't caught anything else. I'll just visit later when I have other Pokemon to trade."

"Oh, bummer. Well, to reach the Pokemon Center, just follow that street for two blocks, then turn left. It'll be on the next corner." Ben pointed out the way for me.

"Thanks. It was nice meeting you."

"Same! Maybe we'll meet again soon!"

With that, we went our separate ways. I didn't offer to exchange numbers this time, mostly because of his attitude towards trading Pokemon. Maybe I was just being a complete newbie to the whole process. Maybe catching Pokemon at random to trade was a common thing for trainers. But for now, it didn't seem right to me. I had three Pokemon in my bag, and even though the latest of them hadn't been with me more than a day I still cared about her a lot. I wasn't about to just trade her away for some other Pokemon I probably wouldn't even get along with.

The Pokemon Center was exactly where Ben said it would be, so I went in and had Nurse Joy heal my friends while I found a free couch to lie down on. Because of the GTS being open, the center was pretty full, but I was able to find a place to call it a night upstairs. Thankfully, people had forgotten about the traditional trade station up there. Something that was a bit sad in its own right.

But I guess that's just the way the world works.

* * *

The next morning, I navigated my way out of Jubilife City via the south exit and onto Route 202. This was a short road that lead to Sandgem Town, where I'd finally be able to obtain my ID. I really wanted to check out the rest of Jubilife on my own, but until I had my ID I wouldn't be able to challenge any gyms and thanks to what Ben told me the previous day, my matches in the city would probably be limited as well.

Naturally, that didn't stop someone on Route 202 from challenging me to a battle. I was about half an hour from Sandgem Town when the boy walked up to me from a mass of tall grass and pointed a (rather grimy) Pokeball in my face.

"I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, despite the road being quiet and my standing like two feet away.

"You don't have to yell," I said in a low voice, pushing his hand away from my face. "Is it okay if I don't have my ID? I'm on my way to get it right now."

The boy thought for only a few seconds, before answering, "Sure, I don't mind."

Not that I wanted to use my lack of an ID for an excuse _not_ to battle. My Pokemon could use the experience, and I was still trying to get Wurmple to evolve. I was desperate to know whether he'd turn into a Beautifly or a Dustox. With the road clear and no one else for dozens of yards around us, we set up for a match on opposite sides of the dirt path heading south.

"All Pokemon in!" The boy announced.

"I have three Pokemon, so three on three?"

"I have four, so I already have the advantage! Hah!" He gloated.

"That's not fair..." I mumbled, but he didn't seem to care.

"I'll go easy on ya since you're still a rookie! My name's Logan, by the way!"

"I'm Mia. Alright, let's get started." I reached into my bag, fishing out Wurmple's Pokeball first. After throwing the ball out onto the road and releasing him, Logan released his first Pokemon, a Bidoof.

"Bidoof, use Rollout!"

"Wurmple, dodge it and hit him with String Shot!"

The battle began, with Logan's Pokemon curling up into a ball and charging full speed at Wurmple. The small bug managed to scurry out of harm's way just in time, spraying the silky white web all over Bidoof. But because he was curled up in a ball, the web didn't seem to stick.

"Try Tackle!"

"Wurmple, counter with Poison Sting!"

The distance closed between them, Bidoof charged in for his attack, crashing directly into Wurmple. However, my Pokemon had his stinger pointed outward, causing Bidoof to take some damage in return.

"Rollout again, Bidoof!"

"Wurmple, String Shot!"

Bidoof took a few paces back before rolling up into a ball again and charging Wurmple anew. Wurmple stood his ground and sprayed Bidoof head-on with the String Shot, though it did little to slow the Pokemon's attack. Bidoof crashed right through Wurmple, sending my Pokemon flying into the air.

"Finish him off with a Hyper Fang!"

"Wurmple, Poison Sting again!"

Bidoof leapt into the air, his giant buckteeth ready to take a bite out of my Pokemon. Luckily, Wurmple was able to straighten himself out in midair, and when Bidoof tried to dig his teeth in, the inside of his mouth was poked by Wurmple's stinger. Logan's Pokemon backed off in pain, and by the look of things he had also been poisoned. Now was my chance!

"Wurmple, Poison Sting again!"

Without missing a beat, Wurmple touched down just in front of Bidoof and drove his stinger into Bidoof's stomach. The small beaver Pokemon cried out in pain before scurrying back to Logan's side.

"Your Wurmple is pretty tough!" He praised us, before putting his Bidoof back into its Pokeball. Logan wasted no time in taking out another Pokeball and releasing his second Pokemon. It was a small green critter, a Burmy.

"Wurmple, get in there and use Poison Sting!"

"Burmy, Protect!"

Wurmple scurried along the road, his stinger pointed directly at Burmy. Logan's Pokemon did nothing, waiting until just before Wurmple struck to steel its body and prevent the attack from connecting.

"Quick, use Bug Bite!" Logan called out.

Burmy leapt forward and started gnawing viciously at Wurmple. After a few seconds, Burmy pushed my Pokemon back. Wurmple was looking a bit tired.

"Wurmple, return!" I called out, putting my Pokemon back into his Pokeball.

"Guess my Burmy's the better bug, huh?" Logan grinned. The kid had a really high opinion of himself. And I was looking to wipe it off his smug face. I reached for Mareep's Pokeball and released my newest critter. He wouldn't survive this round.

"Mareep, hit him with Thundershock!"

"Burmy, Protect!"

Mareep's wool started to let out small sparks, before the two horns on her head released a bolt of lightning that struck Burmy head on. The bug was electrified for a few seconds, then keeled over just after all the leaves that made up its coat singed off.

"Wow! Talk about a powerful sheep! Burmy, return!" Logan called out. He prepared his third Pokemon, but I wasn't worried at all. That is, until he released a Shinx to combat my Mareep. The small electric rodent would be a fair match for Mareep.

"Shinx, start with Tackle!"

"Mareep, Thunder Wave!"

Shinx charged forward. Mareep stood her ground as her body let off more sparks. Once Shinx's attack connected, Mareep was knocked back a bit, but I instantly noticed that Shinx was looking a bit slower than before. It was a lucky strike given Electric type Pokemon are highly resistant to paralysis.

"Mareep, Tackle!"

"Shinx, use Spark!"

Logan's Pokemon tried to gather up the energy for his attack, while Mareep charged forward at an incredibly slow pace. Mareep weren't known for their speed, so moves like Tackle were a big gamble. Still, because of the paralysis my Pokemon had enough time to ram into Shinx and send him reeling backwards.

"Finish him off with a Thundershock!"

Static electricity built up from the run, Mareep blasted Shinx with a lightning bolt much faster than usual, which left Shinx a little crispy and on his knees. One more attack and the battle would be over.

"Shinx, return!" Logan called however, saving his Pokemon further harm. "I think you've won, Mia."

"Huh? I thought you said you had four Pokemon?" I asked him, blood still pumping from the fight.

"Well, yeah. But if I use my last one and lose, I won't have any Pokemon left and I'll have to run back to town to get them treated." Logan explained with a sigh.

The battle now done, I called Mareep back and walked over to my opponent. It's amazing how quickly the heat of battle died down, all things considering. Logan extended his hand, which I shook, before he offered a few coins as payment for the fight.

"Rules are rules, huh?" He laughed.

"I know they're the rules, but since I don't have my ID you technically don't have to pay me." Though I said that, I really wanted to pocket the money ASAP.

"It's okay, you're about to get it, right? Plus, you beat me fair and square, so I'm not sore. You're a really good trainer, for a newbie. Did you battle growing up?"

I shook my head. "No, but I do have brothers and sisters who are trainers, so I've seen them battle a lot of times before."

Logan chuckled. "That explains it. You sure know how to use your Pokemon. I think you could even make it to the Pokemon League!"

"Well, that's the plan! I want a chance to challenge Cynthia!" I clenched my fist. Cynthia was the Sinnoh region Champion, and a well known trainer not only here, but in all the regions on the mainland. The only other League Champion as famous was probably Lance, or Kalos' own superstar Diantha.

"I hope you can challenge her someday! Good luck!"

Logan said his farewell, before heading back in the direction of Jubilife City. He didn't give me a chance to share contact information, but a character like him I was certain I'd run into again before long. That battle behind me, I continued south towards Sandgem Town.

* * *

Despite being a pretty small town, Sandgem did have one of Sinnoh's largest beaches. When I was little, Mom and Dad brought us all here for a vacation once. We had to stay in Jubilife City, so I didn't know the town proper all that well. As it would turn out, there wasn't much to know. Of the few large buildings, only one stood out among the rest: that of the Pokemon Research Lab belonging to Professor Rowan. As I made my way up to the front door, I suddenly found myself feeling very nervous about meeting him.

Except for my brother Seth, everyone else had mentioned him from the start of their own adventures. And beyond the initial meeting, no one had actually said anything else about him. About what kind of person he was, or anything else, really. I'd seen him on TV once or twice, and he always seemed so serious when talking about Pokemon. That's pretty much what had me so nervous in the first place. Would he be something like a strict teacher?

Well, after giving myself a few moments, I opened the door to his lab and walked inside. A few machines stood by the entrance, with a few bookshelves and tables and a couple people working here and there. It looked to be business as usual for them, so I didn't want to make too much noise. But the moment I closed the door behind me, everyone turned their gaze towards me.

"Umm... hello? My name is Mia, and I'm here to see Professor Rowan?" I said, though it certainly came out more like a question.

"He's in the back. Go right ahead." One of the other workers in a labcoat told me.

A slight bow and a few hasty steps later, I was in the back of the lab, which turned out to be some kind of rest area with couches, a fridge and a TV. There was only one person here, and he was sitting on a couch snacking on something. As soon as I saw him, he turned to see me. His face was covered in a white beard, some of it dirty from the piece of cake he was eating.

"Yes? Can I help you?" He asked in a stern tone.

I straightened up with hands at my sides before speaking. "My name is Mia Caelum, sir. I'm here to get my ID to become a Pokemon Trainer."

A smile formed on his face. "Caelum? Daniel Caelum's daughter?"

"Y-Yes. That's my dad's name." I nodded, thrown off a bit. "Do you know Dad? I mean- my father?"

"Only met him once before, I'm afraid. But I have given three of his children their IDs so far. That means you must be the runt of the litter."

"R-Runt?" I stammered. That was one way of calling me the youngest I hadn't heard before.

"I'm Professor Rowan, though you probably already knew that. Would you care for a piece of cake? Or would you rather get right to the ID?" He offered, showing me the sweet he was enjoying. Tempted though I was...

"I'm fine, thank you." I found myself saying.

"Your brother refused me, too. Good manners or you just don't like cake?" Rowan put the plate down on the couch and walked past me back to the lab proper.

"He did?"

"I'm pretty sure your sisters also turned me down. What were their names? Isis?"

" _Iris_. And Ruby." I corrected him with a giggle.

"Right. They're doing well, I hope?"

"Uh huh. Ruby is back home in Eterna City. I think Iris is in Kanto right now."

"And your brother Lucas? I gave him his ID and Pokedex just a few months ago." Rowan asked as he took a seat at a computer and started punching up data.

"He hasn't been back home yet. I think he's still somewhere in Sinnoh, though."

"That's good to hear. I'm sure he's doing well. Now, would that be M-I-A C-A-E-L-U-M?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"No need to be so formal." Rowan assured me. Not that it helped me ease up.

"And you already have a Pokemon of your own, correct?"

"Yes, sir. Ruby got me one as a birthday gift."

"Then I guess you won't be getting one of mine." He laughed. "I only give a Pokemon to new trainers who don't have any of their own. Would be unfair if I gave you one."

"Yes, sir." I nodded. I almost wish I had lied so I could have gotten a free Pokemon.

"Only one thing left: smile." He said with little warning, pointing a camera at me. Somehow- and I don't know how- I managed to give my best smile just as he snapped the picture. With that done, he plugged the camera into the computer and kept typing.

"That should do it." He said, waiting for the machine next to the computer to print out a brand new ID card. Once it was out, he took it, inspected it for a moment, and handed it to me.

"My ID..." I whispered, looking at the card. Along with the five digit Trainer ID number, there was my picture. I looked pretty cute all things considering, though it looked more like a school ID because of my uniform.

"Only one more thing: your Pokedex." Rowan said, handing me a brand new red device. With the press of a button, the device came to life and began running a system check.

"This Pokedex will scan and record any Pokemon you see in the wild or otherwise. As a trainer, your goal is to help us gather as much information about Pokemon as you can. Even if you think we know all there is to know about a specific Pokemon, your scan could be the one that tells us that one missing piece of the puzzle. Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Very well, then. That's all there is to it. Point and scan! Just so you know, I've also registered you into the Sinnoh League, so you're free to start challenging the region's gyms for badges to participate." Rowan smiled.

"Thank you, sir! I plan to!"

"Good! Now, is there anything else I can help you with, Mia?"

I shook my head. "No, sir. That's everything!"

"Splendid! Now, if you'll excuse me. There's cake that needs eating."

Once I was back outside, I couldn't help but start typing a message to Mom.

* * *

 _To: Mom_

 _I finally got my ID! Professor Rowan was a really nice man! I'm going to start challenging Gym Leaders soon! Miss you bunches!_


	5. Verity Lake

Verity Lake, Chapter V

* * *

 _From: Mom_

 _Congratulations, sweetie! Remember to be careful on the road and let me know as soon as you get your first gym badge! I love you!_

* * *

I was sitting in the Sandgem Pokemon Center when Mom's message came in. Since I was in the middle of lunch, I decided to send her a reply later on. Besides lunch in front of me, I had to decide where to go from here. West of here was Twinleaf Town, which didn't have a Pokemon Gym or anything else worth checking out. It sounded like a great place to start an adventure, but since mine had already begun there was no point in stopping by. There was also Verity Lake, which was rumored to be the resting place of an ancient and powerful Pokemon. To the south, Route 219 which lead to Routes 220 and 221, and at the end of that a place called Pal Park.

So that left me with back north to Jubilife City. There was no gym there either, so it was either west to Canalave City or east to Oreburgh City.

"Man, decisions," I said to myself as I finished my soda pop. "I guess it would be smarter to tackle Canalave first since it's by the sea. But I think it might be too hard for me right now."

Canalave City's Gym Leader was a man called Byron, a master of Steel type Pokemon. In the month leading up to my birthday, I had studied up on all the Sinnoh region Gym Leaders. Besides the fact that my team was still pretty small and inexperienced, I didn't have anything to counter Steel type Pokemon. It didn't change the fact that if I managed a win, I wouldn't have to come back through this side of the region at all. Just as I was wrapping up my decision, I felt someone approach from behind.

"Excuse me? Are you a Pokemon Trainer?" The person asked. I turned around to find none other than Nurse Joy standing there, a worried expression on her face.

"Huh?"

"A Pokemon Trainer?" She repeated.

"Yeah, I am. Why?"

"Well," she started, stepping aside slightly to show me the front desk. There were more than a few trainers lined up waiting, some holding their Pokeballs in trays, others carrying their actual Pokemon in their arms.

"I'm not much of a nurse..." I pointed out.

"No, not for help with the care. It's been like this all day here. Some of these trainers have come in already before. Apparently, there's something going on at Lake Verity."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"There's a group of thugs out there," another trainer chimed in from the line. He looked about my age, carrying a Bidoof in his arms that looked really badly hurt. "They're stopping anyone from going near the lake with their Pokemon.

"Have you guys tried teaming up on them instead?" I asked, figuring it the smartest idea. Aside from steering clear, of course.

"It's no good," another one added. She had a tray of five Pokeballs in her hands. "They're too strong! They're after the legendary Pokemon at the lake!"

"Legendary Pokemon?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Yes, there's a local legend about the small island at the center of the lake." Nurse Joy said. "Many years ago, a powerful Pokemon made its home there, and its believed that it still lives there to this day."

I wasn't a stranger to Pokemon myths and fables. I came from Eterna City after all, a place with a giant statue depicting two ancient Pokemon duking it out. Pokemon that- according to legends- were responsible for space and time. So it wasn't completely out there to think that in this part of the region there were similar rumors and legends. Verity Lake, along with the other great lakes of the region were all tied into many legends about the origins of the world.

"Has anyone ever seen this Pokemon?" Was my next question.

No one spoke up. So it was just a rumor, after all.

"Whether it's real or not doesn't matter!" The boy with the Bidoof cried out. "Look what they did to my Pokemon! They're a bunch of mean thugs and they deserve to be punished!"

A small cheer came from the group of trainers around him.

"By who?"

This time, instead of cheers I got virtual silence. I heard a couple murmurs, but no one said anything out loud.

"Maybe it's just best to not go anywhere near there? If we can't beat them, the most we can do is call the police, right?" I followed up.

"And what if they get their hands on the ancient Pokemon?" The same girl spoke up. "Do you think they deserve that Pokemon?"

To be honest, it was a tricky discussion when it came to who deserved what Pokemon. Yeah, these guys sounded like common thugs, but they were doing something right: strength in numbers. Even assuming I wanted to help, what was I going to be able to do? I had three Pokemon, and I was just barely starting out myself. What hope did I have of winning?

"We could go together." The girl offered. "I won't let them get away with what they did!"

"Me too!" The boy with the Bidoof joined. However, none of the other trainers around them seemed interested in going back. When the two realized this, they both turned to me. I hadn't been there earlier, so a fresh new trainer in the mix would be helpful in their little quest. I couldn't help but sigh.

"Fine, I'll go." I got off the couch in the lobby and tried to up my motivation before speaking again. "Let's show them what real Pokemon Trainers are capable of!"

With that, the others in line began to cheer, despite none of them volunteering to help out. To be honest, I still thought we wouldn't be able to do much. Worst case we'd all come running back to the Pokemon Center crying as our Pokemon clung to life.

But if I was being perfectly honest with myself, I wanted to teach those guys a lesson. Not so much for what they did to everyone here, but for trying to hog such a powerful and rare Pokemon for themselves. I was a trainer, after all. It was my job to catch Pokemon, especially rare ones! And nothing would cause my brothers and sisters more shock and envy than if I were the first trainer in our family to catch a rare or legendary Pokemon!

* * *

Before long we were on the road, Route 201 towards Verity Lake. Nurse Joy did her best to treat my new companions' Pokemon as quickly as possible. Seems even she wanted us to give those thugs a proper thrashing. I was introduced to the two in turn on the road.

"I'm Michael. I'm still a newbie. I'm actually from Sandgem."

"And I'm Kaitlin. I'm from Jubilife City. I've been adventuring for a few weeks now. I already have my first badge and everything!"

Kaitlin showed us her Coal Badge, proof that she'd bested the Oreburgh City Gym Leader. That bit made me jealous, as well as uncertain about our chances. If someone like her had been beaten, what hope did I have, even if we were together?

"I'm Mia. I'm from Eterna City. I just got my ID today, and was on my way to my first gym. Guess that'll have to wait, huh?"

"Sorry," Kaitlin said. "But it'll be worth it, trust me! Those guys will get what's coming to them!"

"Are they just normal thugs? Why would they bother doing all this just for a Pokemon? Even if it is rare?" I asked them.

"I don't know. But they were all wearing the same uniform." Michael said.

"Uniform?"

"Yeah, like some gray outfit. I think it even had some kind of logo on the chest, but I couldn't make it out." Kaitlin described.

"I think it was a 'G'. But real fancy, and in gold!" Michael added.

"You might be right." Kaitlin snapped her fingers.

"Doesn't sound like a normal gang. What if they're something like Team Rocket?"

Both Michael and Kaitlin looked at me, but it was Kaitlin who asked, "Team Rocket?"

"Didn't you guys watch the news? About all the attacks in Kanto and Johto?"

Both shook their heads, so I quickly gave them a summary of what I'd heard. Last summer, a group of bad guys using Pokemon in the Kanto region had started launching attacks against buildings and people. Their goal had been something to do with Pokemon, but no one was able to figure out what. Aside from attacks on a few cities, they also somehow destroyed a big part of Cinnabar Island. From there, they targeted a couple places in Johto, but those attacks didn't make as many headlines. What's more, in Hoenn, a different team had caused a mess at Mt. Chimney, but the news claimed they were also linked with Team Rocket. The fact that they hadn't heard of it surprised me. Late last year, it was all the news ever talked about for weeks.

"You think they're here in Sinnoh, too?" Michael asked after I'd finished.

"Maybe. But I haven't heard any stories about them on the news for weeks. I just thought they'd caught them all and I missed it." I shrugged.

"Maybe they escaped here, and changed their name so no one would find them." Kaitlin thought aloud.

"That was kinda stupid if they keep doing the same things even with new costumes. Are you guys sure we shouldn't just call the police?" I asked again.

"Nurse Joy said she'd contact them as soon as she was done helping everyone at the center. We're just going first so we can get revenge!" Kaitlin punched through the air on the last word.

I was going to point out that, as of yet, they hadn't done anything to me to merit such revenge. But I was already on the way there, so revenge or not I was going to be a part of this whole mess.

"Let's just promise each other that we'll run for it if things get bad, okay? If they are like Team Rocket, we don't want them to hurt us. Or do something worse than that to us or our Pokemon."

Though reluctant, both of them agreed to the terms. Guess their minds were on revenge more than anything else. I would have to be the level head around here. Which was fine by me, but I was a bit nervous now, more than when we set out. Among the news of the attacks, there had been several reports of Team Rocket attacking trainers directly, or stealing their Pokemon for their own use. If these people really were Team Rocket in a different get-up, we'd have to be careful.

It was close to sunset when we finally arrived at the lakefront. As Kaitlin and Michael had described, the entrance to the area proper was being guarded by two adults in that strange gray get-up. However, that was the strangest part about it.

"Only two? When we came here this morning, there were like a dozen of them!" Kaitlin whispered.

"Maybe they all left?" Michael mentioned.

"Nah, otherwise these two would have left as well. I think they just left them to guard the front while the rest do the work at the lake." Kaitlin explained.

"Three against two. We should be able to win easy." I said, feeling a bit more bold now that the odds were seemingly in our favor.

"Yeah. Let's go!" Kaitlin screamed, jumping out from behind the bushes where we were hiding. The two adults took notice and immediately prepared Pokeballs.

"It's that brat again! Doesn't she learn?" One of them- the male of the two- said.

"We'll send her crying home again." The female laughed. That's when Michael and I emerged from the bushes.

"Looks like they brought friends. Guess we'll have to dispose of all three." The male grunt chuckled. He threw a Pokeball, releasing a purple Pokemon I wasn't familiar with.

The female grunt released a Pokemon as well, a Silcoon. I quickly reached into my skirt pocket for the Pokedex and scanned the purple Pokemon I didn't recognize.

"Stunky, the Skunk Pokemon. It sprays a foul fluid from its rear. Its stench spreads over a mile radius, driving Pokemon away." The device voiced aloud, before displaying a bunch of information about the Pokemon on the screen.

"Tch, I hate nosy Pokemon Trainers. Prepare to die!" The female grunt screamed at us.

On our side, Michael released his Bidoof, while Kaitlin started with a Staravia. Tempted as I was to start with Gible, I instead went with Wurmple. I'm pretty sure both grunts laughed at my Pokemon, since it was the weakest of the bunch it seemed.

"Silcoon, hit them all with String Shot!" The female grunt ordered.

"Stunky, blast them with Poison Gas!"

Stunky moved first, spinning around in place and somehow farting a noxious gas on all our Pokemon (eww). In the meantime, Silcoon released a wide spray of the silky substance, ensnaring Bidoof and Wurmple, but Staravia flew up high to avoid both attacks.

"Staravia, use Whirlwind to clear the field!" Kaitlin called.

Her bird Pokemon flew back towards us a bit, then flapped its wings as hard as it could to blow the attacks of both enemy Pokemon back at them. When we could clearly see our Pokemon again, Bidoof had been poisoned, while Wurmple looked to be fine. The attack directed back at them, the two grunts were trying their best to catch their breath.

"Bidoof, use Growl!"

"Wurmple, use Poison Sting!"

Bidoof let out a harsh cry at the enemy, which seemed to slow them down a bit. Wurmple rushed in, driving his stinger directly into Silcoon. The attack was enough to push the Pokemon back a bit.

"Staravia, use Gust on Silcoon!" Kaitlin followed up.

"Stunky, stop that bird with Fury Swipes!" The male grunt countered.

Staravia swooped in as quickly as it could, blowing a small but powerful tornado at both Pokemon. The attack managed to land on Silcoon, sending it flying into the air. Stunky jumped Staravia while the bird was closer to the ground, hacking away at the Pokemon with a few dozen lightning fast swipes of its claws.

"Bidoof, Hyper Fang on Stunky!"

"Wurmple, String Shot to help!"

From a distance, Wurmple sprayed Stunky with the sticky string. Slowed down, Stunky could do nothing to dodge Bidoof's powerful biting attack. It was at this point that Silcoon finally came crashing back down to the ground, the Pokemon completely knocked out. The female grunt put her Pokemon away, reaching for a second Pokeball.

"Staravia, finish Stunky off with a Quick Attack!" Kaitlin ordered.

Her bird Pokemon moved in for a super swift strike that sent the purple skunk flying backwards to its trainer. As the male grunt put his Pokemon away, the female grunt had released her next Pokemon: a Golbat. The male grunt also released his next Pokemon, a Glameow. Before they had a chance to issue orders, I did a quick scan on both critters.

"Golbat, the Bat Pokemon. It loves the blood of humans and Pokemon. It flies around at night in search of neck veins." The Pokedex chimed about the first Pokemon before moving on. "Glameow, the Catty Pokemon. With its sharp glare, it puts foes in a mild hypnotic state. It is a very fickle Pokemon."

"Glameow, Fury Swipes!"

"Golbat, Air Cutter!"

Golbat swooped in on our Pokemon, unleashing a pair of air shockwaves that cut right through Bidoof and Wurmple. Glameow zoomed in and unleashed a flurry of swipes at Bidoof, knocking the poor Pokemon unconscious in seconds.

"Staravia, get in there and Quick Attack!" Kaitlin screamed.

Her Pokemon vanished from sight for a moment and then reappeared to push the Glameow off Bidoof. Unfortunately, Michael's Pokemon had already been downed. He moved in to carry his Bidoof from the fight.

"Do you have another Pokemon?" I asked him, noticing my own Wurmple was close to going down himself.

"I-I don't want to use him..." Michael admitted, trying to nurse his Bidoof with a Potion he'd bought before setting out. Guess in a way I couldn't blame him for wanting to spare his Pokemon further harm.

"Then go! We'll finish them off!" Kaitlin told him.

"You aren't going anywhere!" The female grunt yelled. "Golbat, use Leech Life on the trainer!"

"What?! That's against the rules!" I screamed in protest.

"There are no rules for Team Galactic! Golbat, go!"

The large bat Pokemon dove in on Michael, its massive mouth agape and ready to swallow him whole it seemed. Before the Pokemon could do anything, Kaitlin pushed Michael out of the way, narrowly avoiding what was going to be an ugly attack. I turned my attention back to the two grunts.

"Are you crazy?!" I yelled at them.

"I'm sick and tired of hearing you, brat. Golbat, kill her!"

This time, the large bat turned its attention towards me. I realized in that moment that there would be nothing wrong with cheating myself. I called back Wurmple, who was already tired from battle, and dove out of the way when Golbat tried to attack me. I reached into my bag, pulling out both Gible's and Mareep's Pokeballs. Releasing both Pokemon, I began the attack.

"Mareep, use Thundershock! Gible, Dragon Rage!"

The Golbat dangerously close, Mareep had no problem directing her electricity at the Pokemon. Her two stubby horns began to glow, and a pair of lightning bolts shot forth. They struck the Golbat head on, a super-effective attack that seemed to paralyze Golbat in midair. Without missing a beat, Gible opened his wide mouth to unleash a purple stream of flames and smoke at Golbat. Once both attacks had finished, the Pokemon was having trouble staying in the air.

"Staravia, finish him with a Tackle!" Kaitlin called out.

Her bird Pokemon dove in from the sky, slamming the Golbat into the ground. Seconds later, the Pokemon's body turned completely red as it was sucked back into its Pokeball.

"Stupid brats..." The female grunt cursed at us.

"I'll finish them off!" The male grunt stepped forward, despite being outnumbered three to one now.

All three of our Pokemon stood tall in front of the lone Glameow. I noticed the cat Pokemon wasn't liking the odds stacked against it, and turned a sad eye back to its trainer.

"You can run now, if you want," I called out to the grunt. "We'll let you go if you run now."

"What are you talking about?!" Kaitlin screamed at me.

"The brat's right," the female grunt commented. "You're not going to beat them."

The male grunt clenched his teeth, and reluctantly called back his Pokemon. Kaitlin looked like she wanted to have her Staravia chase them down, like their Golbat had tried to get us.

"I don't like this one bit," the male grunt barked.

"Neither do I, but I'm sure the boss got what we came for by now. Let's get outta here." The female replied, turning on one heel and making a mad dash for the forest on the side of the road. The male grunt quickly followed.

"Hey! Where are you going, cowards?!" Kaitlin yelled after them. But they were gone within seconds; fast on the retreat, it seemed.

"Why'd you let them go?" Kaitlin asked me, clearly annoyed.

"Revenge is nice, but we're not here for that." I told her calmly. "We're here for the rare Pokemon, remember?"

In truth, I was there for the rare Pokemon. So it made sense that Kaitlin had no idea what I was even talking about. I had decided not long after the three of us- now just two of us- set out that I'd try to catch whatever that rare Pokemon was at the lake. These two grunts were just buying their friends time to do just that, it seemed. Without giving my new traveling companion a chance to question me further, I called both my Pokemon back and started jogging towards the lake. To my surprise, Kaitlin followed.

A short run later we stood at the edge of Verity Lake. Just as Nurse Joy had said, there was a small island in the center of the lake. But there was also a helicopter hovering just above it. Another grunt in the same uniform had just climbed a ladder up to the helicopter, and after flashing us a thumbs-up the helicopter with the grunt took off to the north. That's when we realized we weren't the only ones on the lakefront.

Standing next to us was a tall man, his dyed-blue hair spiked on end. His eyes were droopy as if he hadn't slept in weeks, but his pupils were sharp as nails. He looked at me and Kaitlin, and I slowly reached for a Pokeball in my bag when he started to speak.

"Step aside." He said, his tone deep and commanding.

Almost against my own volition I found myself taking a step back, as did Kaitlin. The man, wearing similar colors to the grunts we had fought moments ago just walked right past us.

"Who are you?" I managed to ask before he had walked away. To my surprise, he stopped and turned to look at us both.

"Cyrus is my name. Remember it, as I will make it all mine one day."

"What are you talking about?" Kaitlin asked for the both of us.

That's when the tiniest of smiles morphed on his lips. "Everything."


	6. Towards Canalave

Towards Canalave, Chapter VI

* * *

I watched as Gible pigged out on the Pokechow I bought back in Eterna City. I had tried feeding him from my hand, but when I did he accidentally bit me in his haste to eat the food. The cute Dragon-type certainly loved to eat, so unless I put him on a diet I'd have to buy a lot more food more often. And I really didn't want to put him on a diet, considering he was doing more work out on the road than I was. Past him was the campfire, and beyond that I saw Kaitlin fiddling with her Poketch. We had made camp right on the edge of Lake Verity, since we wouldn't make it back to Sandgem Town before dark. Michael wasn't with us of course; after his Bidoof was nearly fainted in the battle with the grunts, he made a run back to town. Hopefully he made it back to town safely.

"He did," Kaitlin said, as if reading my thoughts. "I just received a message from him."

"How'd you know I was thinking about him?" I asked, a bit spooked.

Kaitlin smiled. "Just a guess? I think ever since he left the battle you've been worried about him."

"Kinda. But it's good he made it back safe." I smiled back. I turned my gaze across the lake, seeing the island in the center thanks to the nearly-full moon in the sky. "How about the Pokemon there? Think they got it?"

Kaitlin's smile slowly faded. "Probably. The grunt that got on the helicopter gave that Cyrus guy a thumbs-up before he took off."

Both of us shook at the thought of Cyrus. He had only spoken a few words before leaving the lakefront, but it was enough to scare us both I think. At least I was scared of the guy, but I didn't say it out loud. If that guy was in charge of these Team Rocket wannabes, or high up in their chain of command, I was afraid of what the others would be like. Their grunts had no problem attacking trainers directly with their Pokemon, so that certainly wasn't a good sign. I made a mental note to report them to the police in Sandgem or Jubilife next time I was in the area.

"We could surf across the lake to the island and see? Maybe the Pokemon got away?" Kaitlin suggested.

"Surf? Like swim over there?"

"Yeah, that. Well, I don't know how to swim, so a Pokemon would have to carry me across." Kaitlin chuckled, a slight blush flashing across her cheeks. "But none of my Pokemon can. Can yours?"

"I don't think any of my Pokemon can swim. But I can, so we can check it out if you want." I stood up, preparing to remove my skirt.

"You mean right now?"

"Yeah. Why wait?" I said, skirt already unfastened and awaiting my fingers to drop to the ground.

"W-Well..." Kaitlin said, looking a bit flustered. "It's kinda late, right? Shouldn't we wait until morning?"

"The moon's almost full. It's not like we can't see where we're going, right? Plus I want to get going in the morning soon as we get up. It's a long way to Jubilife City, after all." By now even my school shirt was off, leaving me with nothing but my underwear and a camisole over my chest. One thing I forgot to pack with me was my swimsuit, but I did have plenty of spare outfits and underwear, so they'd make great makeshift swimsuits. I noticed Kaitlin's fluster turn into a full blush once I was out of my clothes, and she looked away instinctively.

"But! Umm..." She fumbled for words, but none followed.

"What's wrong?"

"I told you I can't swim!" She practically yelled, her face red from embarrassment.

"I was going to help you across..."

"No! I mean, it's not very safe, you know? I'm a lot bigger than you so I don't know if you could carry me all the way, right? Yeah..."

It was clear she was just making excuses not to jump into the water with me. But the one excuse was partly true. Kaitlin was a few inches taller than me, and probably weighed a bit more too. I was a good swimmer, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep her afloat without help from an inner tube or something like it.

"Fine, I'll go see for myself. Could you keep an eye on Gible and my stuff?" Gible had already finished eating, but he looked to be enjoying our campfire, so I didn't have the heart to put him back in his Pokeball yet.

"S-Sure! You bet!" Kaitlin practically cheered.

Since I was leaving Gible behind, I instead grabbed Mareep's Pokeball. I didn't want to go it alone, just in case there was some other Pokemon lurking around the island. That in hand, I took a dive in the lake and started for the island in the center. The night air was cold, and the water just as cold. If Mom knew what I was doing at this very moment, she'd probably yell at me that swimming at this time of year would get me sick. Not to mention without a proper swimsuit. Thankfully she wasn't here, so I took a small delight in breaking a rule of her's.

I made it to the island quickly enough, finding the cold air of the night really bad after getting out of the water. I darted across to the cave entrance, hoping it'd be warmer in there. It wasn't, but at least there wasn't a breeze. Without the moonlight, I couldn't make out anything inside, but just a short ways in I noticed light coming from within the cave. Slowly I walked forward, Mareep's Pokeball ready to fly in case any of those grunts were still lurking in the cave. When I got to the center of the cave proper, I noticed the light coming from a few lamps. There was no one else there, so I guessed they were left behind by the grunts earlier. It wasn't a very large cave, but there was also nothing special about it. No fancy markings, no secret doors or anything. Just an ordinary cave.

And most notably of all, no Pokemon inside.

* * *

"So there was nothing there?" Kaitlin asked once I had bundled myself up in a towel.

"Nothing. You were right, if there was a rare Pokemon there, they got it." I sighed. I could feel the chill in my bones, but sitting as close to the fire as I could was helping.

"I wonder what kind of Pokemon it was?" I wondered aloud.

"Mesprit." Kaitlin answered.

"Never heard of that one."

"I think it's almost legendary. Haven't you ever heard of the Lake Guardians?"

I shook my head. "All I ever heard about growing up was Palkia and Dialga, since those two have a big statue in Eterna City."

I did know about other legends surrounding Sinnoh, but no specifics. I could see Kaitlin's interest in what I knew about the two legendary Pokemon I'd mentioned, but she set it aside and continued explaining.

"Legends say that each of Sinnoh's three lakes is protected by a legendary Psychic Pokemon. I think every trainer tries to catch them, but they say they can't be captured."

"They were wrong about that one," I chuckled as a shiver ran up my spine. "Those weirdos caught it."

"Well, there's two more in the other two lakes. Uxie in Lake Acuity, and Azelf in Lake Valor. If these guys captured Mesprit..." Kaitlin's voice trailed off, but I knew exactly where she was going with this.

"Then they'll try to capture the other two as well," I finished for her.

"Right. Or maybe they've already caught them all?"

"Maybe. But why do they want these Pokemon? What makes them so legendary in the first place?" I asked.

"I don't know." Kaitlin sighed.

Far as I knew, there were many "legendary" Pokemon in the world. Some were just called that because they were so rare, but others were really legendary because of their superpowers. Last year, there were two incidents in Hoenn where "legendary" Pokemon were disturbed by members of Team Rocket. No one was hurt I think, but they were definitely trying to control them for some reason. I didn't know how powerful these Lake Guardians were, but obviously they had some use if these crazies were after them. The question remained: what?

"I just hope they can't capture the other two." Kaitlin said after a moment of silence.

I didn't say anything, but I wasn't going to let them. At least, that's what I was telling myself. I wasn't going to ignore my own quest to gather badges to get into the Pokemon League, but these two other lakes were sure to be on the way. Maybe I'd beat them there, and catch the Pokemon myself? Or maybe I'd catch them in the act, and beat them to a pulp to protect the Pokemon? Thoughts of grandeur were flooding my head, but I didn't care. This was all part of being a Pokemon Trainer, after all.

"Let's go to sleep," I said. My hair was still a bit damp, but the rest of my body was dry, and feeling warm and snug under the towel and blanket I'd produced from my bag.

Kaitlin nodded without saying anything else and prepared her sleeping bag. I did the same, but before I rolled over for the night, I checked my Poketch. I hadn't sent a message to my Mom all day.

* * *

 _To: Mom_

 _There's some bad guys on the road, but I'm doing okay. I plan to beat them all up! Don't worry, I'll be careful._

* * *

I parted ways with Kaitlin when we got to Sandgem Town. She said she was going south from there, to check out Pal Park. Since there were no badges down that way for me, I said my good-byes and headed north to Jubilife City. We traded contact info, so at the very least we'd be able to keep in touch on the road. Michael had already left Sandgem himself, so I didn't see him again when I stopped by the Pokemon Center. And because of that, I could add him to my Poketch.

By the time I arrived in Jubilife, it was past midday. The city always had a lot to offer, but I cut right through it all and headed west towards Route 218. I had decided to hit up Canalave City first, and that way not have to backtrack to this side of Sinnoh later on. Kaitlin had warned me that the gym in Canalave was much tougher than the one in Oreburgh, but I felt confident all the same. I guess you could call that cocky, since I only had three Pokemon and one of them was Wurmple. Not exactly a team to fear, huh?

Route 218 was a short one, to my surprise. Most of it was a large wooden bridge, since Canalave City stood on a thin peninsula on the far western end of Sinnoh. As I walked across the bridge, I could see Wingull and Pelipper flying high above. We were close to the sea at this point, so these Pokemon weren't uncommon here. Seated on the edges of the bridge were also tons of fishermen, each with their box of tackle and other fishing gadgets hoping to catch something worthwhile. Most of them ignored me (probably because they were asleep), but one in particular saw me walking up the bridge and called me over.

"Hey there, little lady. Headed to Canalave?" He asked right out of the blue.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just being friendly. You're a Pokemon Trainer, right?"

I nodded. "My name's Mia."

"Luc." He tipped his red had to me before reeling up his line. On the end was a Magikarp, flopping wildly to escape the line that had dragged him from his home.

"Nice catch," I said. Magikarp weren't the best Pokemon... in fact, they were probably among the worst. But give them enough love and attention and you'd get a pretty powerful critter to follow. I'd seen that for myself not too long ago.

"Seventh one today. I'm actually looking for a Finneon." Luc released the Magikarp and the red fish Pokemon disappeared beneath the water's surface.

"Better luck next time?" I said, hoping to be on my way.

"Hold up, we're not done yet." Luc called out, setting his rod aside.

"What do you mean?"

"Called you over for a Pokemon battle. Fishing all day can get boring. Nothing like a battle to stretch the muscles." With a light tug on his vest, Luc showed me his collection of six Pokeballs strapped to his belt.

"I only have three," I countered, hoping he wouldn't throw all of his Pokemon at me.

"Most of these are Magikarp. I sell them for a living. No, let's make it a one-on-one. Fair?"

I nodded. Given his profession, I figured Mareep the quickest way to victory, so I reached for her Pokeball. Luc detached one of the Pokeballs on his belt, and threw it into the water beside him. As I expected, a Water type. However, when the Pokeball released the critter trapped inside, a massive blue beast stared back at me. I knew which Pokemon it was, but all the same I instinctively reached for my Pokedex to scan it.

"Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokemon. Once it begins to rampage, Gyarados will burn everything down, even in a harsh storm."

"You must have seen this one coming." Luc laughed. I kinda had, and I kinda hadn't at the same time. After battling one of these a couple days ago, I had hoped I wouldn't see another for a while. Guess they were more popular than I imagined.

"Alright, one-on-one, right?" I stuttered, aware how redundant that was. Luc nodded, so I released my Pokemon. Mareep was no where near Gyarados's size, but I had the advantage and experience in recent memory.

"Gyarados, Dragon Rage!" Luc ordered, signaling the start of the battle.

His massive Pokemon reeled back its head, a dark mist forming in its agape mouth. Without even thinking about it I scooped Mareep up in my arms and ran off to a side, narrowly dodging the blast of dark flames. Of course that was against the rules, but Luc didn't seem to mind given the sudden attack.

"Mareep, hit him with Thundershock!" I ordered, releasing my fluffy Pokemon from my arms.

Mareep's two horns began to glow, and she shot forth a bolt of lightning directly at the Gyarados. It struck dead on, enveloping the massive Pokemon and causing it let out a painful, deafening roar. Of course I was happy with the outcome, but to my surprise Luc wasn't at all fazed by this. It also surprised me that his Gyarados had endured that attack so well; he hardly looked hurt or even tired!

"Gyarados, shake it off and use Twister!" He called out next.

Once the electric attack from Mareep had died down, Gyarados revealed its tail from beneath the water's surface and whipped it towards Mareep on the bridge. Out of no where a small but powerful tornado formed, taking Mareep and launching her high into the air. She didn't stay up there for long, but came crashing back down into the water.

"Mareep! Are you okay?!" I called out to her. She was trying her best to stay afloat, which didn't look to be very hard because of her fluffy wool.

"Gyarados, Thrash!"

With Mareep so close, Gyarados moved in for the kill. Maybe Luc had planned this all along, but I'm guessing he expected me to panic when this happened. Just as calmly as he had ordered the Twister before, I did the same.

"Mareep, Thundershock."

As Mareep tried to stay afloat, and Gyarados closed the distance, her two horns lit up again and sent electricity flying through the air and water. Instantly it hit Gyarados, and the attack amplified by the water all around them caused even greater damage to the Pokemon. I noticed Luc's dumbfounded expression as we both watched the magnificent light show before us. Even a few of the other fishermen couldn't help but watch on. I'm guessing it was around this point that Luc regretted taking us on, especially after seeing my choice in Pokemon.

Once the lightning had finally fizzled out, Gyarados remained belly up on the water's surface. At first I was afraid I had overdone it and cooked the poor Pokemon alive, but Luc assured me he was okay. I called Mareep back, sparing her from having to splash around anymore in the water.

"Good battle. Usually trainers panic when their Pokemon hit the water like that." Luc shared.

"I probably would've too. But because Mareep is an Electric type I didn't have to worry too much. And you weren't the first Gyarados trainer I've fought!" I laughed smugly.

"Next time I should get Gyarados to fly instead." Luc sighed.

"They can fly?!"

"Oh yeah. It takes a bit of work to teach them, but it's worth it in the end. Gyarados is part Flying-type, after all."

That much was true. Though being part Flying type didn't allow Gyarados to learn many Flying moves. A quick glance at my still open Pokedex proved that. As I considered getting a Magikarp for my team, Luc took a seat on the edge of the bridge again and picked up his fishing rod.

"It was a fun battle, Mia. Good luck at Canalave's gym."

"Huh? How'd you know?"

"It's why you're headed there, right? The Gym Leader is called Byron, a Steel type trainer. A real challenge for newbie trainers." Luc shared.

"I'll be fine. Thanks for the info!" I put my hands on my hips for emphasis, even though I already knew what he had shared.

With that, I took my leave of Luc and his fishing spot. I was afraid I'd get challenged by some of the other fishermen there, but after seeing my battle with Luc's Gyarados I think they all decided to pass on me. Better in the end, as I had to start thinking up strategies for how to deal with my first gym challenge.

* * *

Canalave City was large. Probably not as large as Jubilife, but it felt larger because of the many ships moored at the docks. Aside from Sunyshore City on the east coast, this was the only place you could arrive in Sinnoh by boat. Down south on Route 221, near Pal Park was a large forest that connected to the Almia region. Trainers usually didn't go that way to get to the region, since the forest was pretty large, uncharted for the most part and protected by Almia's laws of natural conservation. So it made sense that Canalave was a busy city at all times.

The city was also divided right down the middle by a massive canal, which allowed smaller ships to dock deeper in the city. Usually these were tiny passenger ships that made trips to not only Almia, but also the Fiore and Johto regions. If you wanted to go further south, you'd have to take a cruise liner to Hoenn, or cross Johto on foot to enter Kanto if that was your destination. The smaller ships also carried people- typically trainers- to the small islands off the far northern coast of Sinnoh. There wasn't much to see up on those islands, but if they had rare Pokemon I was considering a trip myself.

Of course, all this was second potatoes to the real delight of my visit here. Not long after wandering into the city, I ran across someone I hadn't expected to see this soon on my journey. He was standing with his back to me, watching one of the small passenger ships depart from the canal in the center of the city. I ran up to him and gave him the strongest poke in the center of his back I could possibly muster.

"Oww! Hey, what the-?!" He spun around angrily, and our eyes locked. It had been months since that happened.

"Hey, stupid." I greeted the boy a year older than I was.

"Oh my gosh! Mia!" He threw his arms around me, and I returned the gesture. His scruffy hair had gotten longer since I last saw him, but there was no mistaking someone I had known my entire life.

"It's been forever, Lucas! How are you?" I asked my older brother.

"Good! I never thought I'd run into you here! You trying to get a badge from the gym here?"

I gave him a sly smile. "Maybe...! You, too?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I'm not sure I'm ready yet. He's a Steel type user, and I don't have any Pokemon that stands a chance. Well, except for Heracross."

"Heracross? Can I see him?!" I clasped my hands together and started bouncing up and down. This was a childish habit I never quite kicked when it came to Lucas. Any time he'd get something, I'd beg him in this manner to show it to me.

"Well, there's only one way I could show him to you..." Lucas had a bag similar to mine hanging off his shoulder. When he reached into it and retrieved a Pokeball, I knew exactly what he meant. Slinging my own bag to the front, I prepared to do the same.

"Nothing like a battle between brother and sister, huh?" I said, that same fiendish smile on my face.

"I won't hold back, baby sister." Lucas mirrored my smile, proving we were true siblings. Of course, my blood was already boiling after hearing him call me "baby sister". That was one nickname I never liked hearing from any of my siblings, much less one just a year older than me!

Lucas threw out his Pokeball first, releasing of course Heracross. Figuring it only fair to fight fire with fire (or in this case, bug with bug), I released Wurmple. Naturally, Lucas almost couldn't contain his laughter upon seeing my tiny bug Pokemon.

"A Wurmple? Well, you're just starting out, aren't you?"

"My Wurmple will kick your Pokemon's butt! Wurmple, slow him down with String Shot!" I shot back.

Not giving Lucas a chance, Wurmple sprayed Heracross with the sticky white string. Unfortunately for us, Heracross simply used the large horn on his head to peel the sticky string right off in one motion.

"Heracross, Brick Break!"

The large blue bug made a dash at Wurmple, and with a single strike of his massive horn, sent my poor critter flying right back at me. Fortunately I caught Wurmple in my arms as if he were a ball.

"Wurmple! Are you okay?" I asked. The small bug's eyes spun around in circles, dizzied by the attack. I placed him down on the ground, using the opportunity to pull out my Pokedex.

"Heracross, the Single Horn Pokemon. With powerful legs and claws, it generates enough power to hurl foes over great distances."

"Thanks a lot, Pokedex..." I sighed, wishing I had scanned the Pokemon sooner.

"Come on, Mia! You know you can't keep your opponent waiting!" Lucas called out to me.

"Yeah, yeah! Wurmple, get him with a Poison Sting!"

Motivated by my cry, Wurmple snapped out of his daze and started a furious (if adorable) charge towards Heracross.

"Heracross, counter with Take Down!"

As Wurmple closed in with his stinger pointed at him, Heracross leapt into the air and came crashing down on Wurmple. My Pokemon reacted just fast enough to turn his stinger upright, allowing the damage done to be maximized with Heracross's own weight. However, the blue bug was much larger than Wurmple, so my Pokemon was crushed in the process. When Heracross moved out of the way, I saw that poor Wurmple was knocked out cold. Heracross still looked to be in fighting form, despite the mark of Wurmple's stinger on his belly.

"One down. Is that the best you got, baby sister?" Lucas mocked.

Clenching my teeth, I went to recall Wurmple when I noticed that his body began to glow. Both of us stared in awe as the shape of Wurmple's body grew larger and round, until at last the glow subsided and a purple cocoon shape remained. I hoped the dimming sunlight was tricking me, but all the same I scanned my new Pokemon with the Pokedex in my hands.

"Cascoon, the Cocoon Pokemon. It never forgets any attack it endured while in the cocoon. After evolution, it seeks payback."

With a secret and silent sigh, I looked back at Cascoon. I really hoped Wurmple would evolve into a Silcoon, but I guess luck wasn't on my side. However, the Pokedex did give me an idea to make a comeback against Lucas' Heracross.

"Alright! Cascoon, are you ready to keep fighting?" I called out to my newly named Pokemon. It didn't move much, but he certainly looked ready for round two against Heracross. Lucas' Pokemon stood ready, probably figuring this would be even easier than before.

"Heracross, use Megahorn!"

"Cascoon, Harden!"

Heracross scratched the ground with one foot, preparing a full force ram into my Pokemon. Cascoon remained perfectly still, which was normal for him I guess. Once Heracross took off in a sprint towards him, I saw Cascoon's body begin to shine as it prepared its defensive move. Horn first Heracross crashed into Cascoon, sending my bug Pokemon flying high into the sky.

"Use Take Down!" Lucas followed up.

Heracross leaped into the air- surprisingly high considering the Pokemon had no wings and stubby legs- grabbed hold of Cascoon and made a dive towards the ground. This was the only chance I had.

"Cascoon, use Harden and Sling Shot to cushion your fall!"

I just barely made out the shine on Cascoon before the two Pokemon crashed into the ground. It looked like he didn't have time to use Sling Shot, so I watched nervously as the dust settled around the two Pokemon. Within seconds, Heracross stood up, though he looked a lot more beat up than usual. Once the dust was settled completely, I saw Cascoon half buried in the ground. I held my breath for a second, unsure what was going to happen, when my Pokemon popped out of the ground and remained perfectly still next to Heracross. Unlike his opponent, he looked perfectly fine!

"Hah! Good work, Cascoon!" I cheered him on.

"Heracross, return." Lucas said, forcing his bug Pokemon back into its Pokeball.

"Quitting on me, brother?" I gloated, hands on my hips.

"You win the first round, Mia. But I still got one more Pokemon on me." He reached for another Pokeball.

"Just two? All this time on the road and that's all you got?"

Lucas shook his head. "I've got more, but I don't want to use them all up right now. Plus, it would be unfair to you."

I scoffed at his excuse. My three Pokemon were totally capable of taking on all six of his! At least, that's what I wanted to believe. Lucas had been out here a lot longer than me, so his Pokemon were probably a lot stronger and more experienced than mine. As I silently agreed this was for the best, I put Cascoon back into his Pokeball and prepared Gible next. I had a feeling I knew which Pokemon Lucas was going to call on next.

Moments later, there was a green Pokemon released from Lucas' side of the field. On its back was a thin yellow shell, with what looked like two branches growing out of it with thick green bushes. I instantly recognized the Pokemon as Grotle, the evolved form of Lucas' first Pokemon Turtwig. I pulled out my Pokedex to get the goods on him.

"Grotle, the Grove Pokemon. The shell is hardened soil. Some Pokemon come to peck the berries growing on the trees on its back."

"Wow, really? What kinds of berries are they?" I asked Lucas.

"Oran Berries. I don't like the way they taste, but they help out when I'm in a double battle." Lucas shrugged.

"Doesn't it hurt him?" I asked, wondering if that was like plucking hairs off a person's head to eat them. Nasty as that sounded.

"Nope. Grotle is happy to offer them. Right, boy?" In response to his master's question, Grotle nodded and let out a soft growl.

With the fun out of the way, I released my first Pokemon as well. Gible emerged from his Pokeball, which caused Lucas to go wide eyed.

"Is that...? No way!"

I laughed at his surprise. "Bet you've never seen one of these!"

"Not in the wild! Where'd you find him?"

"You'll have to beat me to find out! Gible, Dragon Rage!"

My Pokemon opened his big mouth and blasted Grotle with the dark flames and smoke. Lucas didn't say anything, letting his Grotle weather the attack.

"Grotle, Absorb!"

Despite looking a bit crispy from Gible's attack, Grotle lurched forward a bit, exposing his two branches at us. Sparkles formed all around him same as around Gible, and I watched as tiny traces of what looked like green water flowed from my Pokemon to his.

"Gible, use Take Down while he's not moving!"

"Grotle, keep him away with Razor Leaf!"

Gible started running towards Grotle, but before he could even get close a bunch of the leaves from Grotle's two branches started falling off and flying towards Gible. One after another in quick succession they cut into my Pokemon, slowing him down until he was stuck in place before pushing him on his back.

"Grotle, use Leech Seed!"

Grotle shook his entire body, launching a slow moving seed directly at Gible. It landed directly on his head, spreading a bunch of thin vines all around his body. Gible tried to rip them off with his little arms, but all this did was cause the vines to sap away some of his strength.

"Gible, ignore the vines and use Dragon Rage again!"

"Grotle, Mega Drain!"

Gible opened his mouth again and blasted Grotle with the dark flames. However, not a single one hit him. The entire attack was completely absorbed by Grotle's Mega Drain, turning it into free energy for Lucas' critter. What's more, the Leech Seed's vines continued to sap away Gible's strength.

"Gible, try Dragon Rage again!"

Gible tried, but with the Leech Seed sapping him constantly, he couldn't muster the strength to cough up a single flame. He fell down, unable to take anymore of the damage the seed was causing.

"Looks like I win." Lucas snapped his fingers. "Grotle, get rid of that Leech Seed."

Following his command, the grassy turtle launched a single leaf from its back towards Gible, which cut the tiny seed with perfect accuracy in two. As the vines withered away, Gible found some of his old strength again, but he was in no condition to keep fighting.

"Thanks, Lucas." I said, running over to Gible to make sure he was okay.

"Here, let him eat this." Lucas took one of the berries growing on Grotle's back and handed it to me. Learning my lesson from before, I dropped the berry on the ground beside Gible, and let the small dragon eat it on his own.

"So where'd you get him? He's a really rare Pokemon in Sinnoh."

"Ruby gave him to me. He was my birthday present from her, and my first Pokemon." I told him.

"Lucky! I'll have to ask her to give me a free dragon when I see her again."

"You might still get to see her! She went back home for a while, but she's going to be leaving again soon. If she hasn't already." I told him, remembering what our eldest sister had said before I left.

"I don't know. I just got here, and I still need to challenge the gym leader. His Steel type Pokemon are tough, so I was thinking about taking a trip to Iron Island. Maybe catch a Pokemon to help make the battle easier."

"Oh! Could I go with you? I only have three Pokemon: Gible, Mareep and Cascoon. None of them are any good against Steel types."

"Sure! Think I'd turn down my baby sister?" Lucas joked. I gave him a sharp punch on his shoulder.

"Quit it!" I said, puffing my cheeks to hide my blush.

"Sorry. You're staying at the Pokemon Center, right?"

"Yup! Best place for a trainer to sleep, right?" I said cheerfully and somewhat proud.

"A hotel's better, but it isn't cheap. Unless you want to go half and half?" Lucas offered.

"I don't have a lot of money left," I admitted. I hadn't exactly done a lot of battling so far, and what few battles I had done didn't pay a lot or at all. Those grunts at Verity Lake especially.

"Pokemon Center it is, then. Come on, I'll take you there."

I put Gible back in his Pokeball, and Lucas did the same for Grotle. I trailed after my brother, fiddling with my Poketch quickly before catching up to him.

* * *

 _To Mom:_

 _I ran into Lucas! Send him a message and tell him he hasn't talked to you in forever!_


	7. Iron Island

Iron Island, Chapter VII

* * *

It was closing in on 7PM when I was about fed up with looking at Lucas' face in the Pokemon Center. The novelty of having run into my brother had run out already, especially since all he did was mess around with his Poketch and Pokedex in tandem. When asked what he was doing, he'd either grunt or respond cryptically.

"Stuff." He'd say.

This didn't really surprise me, since growing up he was always the same. Before Poketch and Pokedex, he'd spend all his time on the computer. Doing what I don't know, but he was glued to the one we had at home at all hours. I remember Mom saying he'd probably grow up to work for Silph Co. in Kanto or some other fancy place like that. All the more shocking when he chose to start his Pokemon journey, since he was already a year late.

Since it hadn't been a hard day for me, I wasn't at all sleepy. I got up off the couch on the second floor where we were and started for the stairs. Lucas didn't even notice I was leaving, but all the same I called out to him.

"I'm going out."

He made a grunt of some kind, probably meant to be an "Okay."

Outside the center, the sun had already set and most of the buildings in Canalave City were lit up. It reminded me of Jubilife City, but I didn't think I'd find a lot of fun things to do here. Since the Pokemon Center was at the end of the eastern side of the city, I crossed the canal to the western side hoping to find something or someone worth hanging out with. One of the first buildings I came across was only three stories tall, a stark contrast to the others all around it. I approached the sign outside, which was lit by a small, flickering light.

"Canalave Library." I read aloud.

With a sigh, I seriously considered walking away. One of the many things I was looking forward to before starting my Pokemon journey was never again having to do book reports for class. And yet as I looked down the street leading away from the library, I couldn't make out anything else that looked even remotely interesting. There weren't even that many people wandering around.

So with another sigh, I opened the door to the library and let myself in. As per the norm, it was dead silent in there. The most noise I could pick up was the flipping of pages. I saw a couple kids at the tables, probably studying for a test or something. There was a typical old lady running the place; she looked at me when I entered, then turned her attention back to whatever she was doing behind the front desk. To avoid her gaze, I made a beeline for the stairs, heading to the second floor to browse some books before heading back to the Pokemon Center. Even Lucas was bound to be more exciting than this place.

The second floor looked almost identical to the first. Rows and rows of books were stacked on the shelves, only most of these were about Pokemon myths or legends or something similar. To be fair, these were the kinds of books I liked reading the most when I was in school, since I would daydream about catching them all for myself when I became a trainer. Now that I actually was a trainer, I realized how silly those daydreams were.

As I walked down an aisle of books, my eyes scanned over most of the spines. Before long, I spied a book that mentioned the Pokemon Mesprit. I picked the book off the shelf, seeing a crude drawing of the Pokemon on the front cover. It was quite thick, but it had a bookmark somewhere in the middle. Opening it to that page, I looked over the text. Most of it was about how Mesprit related to the other Pokemon in the same legend, Uxie and Azelf.

"Wait a minute," I said to myself, spotting something of interest. Forgetting where I was, I started reading aloud to myself.

"The Pokemon Mesprit is said to be the bringer of emotion. Another legend originating from eastern Sinnoh claims Mesprit the most important of the three Lake Guardians. Should all three guardians be united at Turnback Cave, depending on the emotions of the Pokemon Master, they will be able to summon a portal to the Distortion World, where the fabled Pokemon Giratina resides."

I felt something smack me on the head. With a yelp I turned around to find the old lady librarian with a paper fan. She put her finger to her lips before showing me the paper fan again. Getting the message, I nodded, put my own finger to my lips, and the old lady went back downstairs. I scanned the passage I read one more time, then put the book back on the shelf.

I ran back to the Pokemon Center as fast as I could. Up on the second floor, Lucas hadn't budged an inch from where I had left him. Not caring for whatever he was doing, I leaped onto the couch and pulled away both his gadgets to get his undivided attention.

"What do you know about the Distortion World?" I asked, ignoring his annoyance at being disturbed.

"The what?"

"Distortion World. And the Pokemon Giratina."

Lucas didn't really react in any special way to the question. That meant whatever he was about to tell me was the truth. "I have no idea what the 'Distortion World' is, but I know about Giratina. Didn't you pay attention in school?"

With my cheeks puffed out, "Of course! They never talked about that Pokemon!"

"Oh, right. That was last year. Giratina is a legendary Pokemon like Dialga and Palkia. But unlike the two we always learned about, Giratina doesn't exist in our world."

"What do you mean it doesn't exist in our world?"

Lucas shrugged. "Just that. Maybe it does live in that 'Distortion World' you mentioned. But no one knows anything else about it. Where'd you hear about Giratina?"

"The library. There was a book about it."

Lucas chuckled. "It's a legend, Mia. I'm pretty sure people have been trying to find or capture Giratina for hundreds of years. I wouldn't waste my time chasing after that."

I wanted to call him out on that. To tell him that he'd never be a true Pokemon Trainer if he didn't at least try. And to tell him about what had happened at Verity Lake. But I kept my mouth shut. He wouldn't believe me, and if he did, he'd probably try and keep me from trying to chase after the Team Rocket wannabes. Not that he really could keep me from doing anything, but why give him the chance?

"You're right," I finally said. "It just looked like a really cool Pokemon in the book.

"It is. I mean, there aren't many Ghost Dragon Pokemon in the world. Plus, it's not like anyone knows how to even find that Pokemon in the first place. If it doesn't exist in our world, how do you find it?"

"Yeah, that's true."

With that, I returned Lucas' gadgets and we dropped the topic. Of course, that wouldn't be the end of my hunt for that rare Pokemon. That weirdo Cyrus was probably collecting the Lake Guardians to catch Giratina, after all. And I wasn't about to let him do that.

* * *

The next morning, Lucas booked us both passage to Iron Island. We had to get up early to make the boat, since the trip would take almost all day. Thankfully, the ferryman had beds on his small boat so we could catch up on our sleep in the morning. So after waking up again when we were on our way north, I met up with Lucas on the deck.

"About time you got up, princess." He jabbed.

"Shut up! How long until we get there?" I asked, seeing the coast of Sinnoh in the distance.

"Still a few hours. Captain Eldritch was the cheapest of the ferries to the island."

"Meaning he's also the slowest," I finished his thought. I turned back to look at the captain's cabin, seeing the chubby, middle-aged man at the wheel.

"Even though we're moving, you could try fishing for some ocean Pokemon. There's a few fishing rods below deck, I'm sure the captain wouldn't mind." Lucas offered.

"Maybe I will! What do you think I'll catch out here?"

"With your luck? Probably a bunch of Magikarp." Lucas laughed. I gave him a jab in his shoulder.

"Shut up! I'm going to get a rod. Want one?"

"Nah, I'll just watch."

 _His loss_ , I said to myself as I ran downstairs. Eldritch did have quite a few rods, but most of them looked to be old and busted up. I picked out one of the nicer ones and ran back to Lucas. After showing him the rod, he insisted that the most I'd catch was a Magikarp.

"I'll show you!" Without even attaching any bait to the line I cast it into the water. That's when the wait began.

"I'll go sit over there. Let me know how many you catch." Lucas said after a few seconds.

Because the ship was moving, I guessed it wouldn't be easy for a Pokemon to bite. Then again, I was thinking about pulling up the line to attach bait after a few boring minutes of waiting. There were a couple boxes next to the rods down below, no doubt full of bait for use. But with Lucas watching me the entire time, I didn't want to admit defeat on the first cast. So I waited.

It felt like an eternity, but something eventually bit. I reeled it in as hard and fast as I could, hoping the entire time the Pokemon didn't let go. I could feel Lucas watching intently from behind me, so I silently prayed this first catch was a good one. The Pokemon emerged from the water with a small splash, and dangling in front of me was... a Magikarp.

Lucas laughed. "Nice catch."

"Shut up! This can evolve into a Gyarados, you know!" I shouted at him. With the Magikarp still on the line, I reached into my bag for a Pokeball. But by the time I fished one out, the Magikarp had somehow freed itself from the hook and made it back into the water.

"Crap!"

"Should've had your Pokeball ready, baby sister." Lucas chimed in.

"Shut up! I didn't want that stupid fish, anyway!"

Lucas said something else, but I ignored him as I ran back below deck to pick up one of the bait boxes. There were quite a few different kinds inside, so I figured I'd just try them all systematically, hoping each would net me something worthwhile.

Baiting the line certainly made the process much quicker. Within seconds Pokemon would bite, but many times they got away before I could reel them in. A lot of the bites I did reel in were Magikarp, hungry little devils that they were. I caught a Finneon, but it managed to wrangle free before I could reel it up close enough to throw the Pokeball. Another time I pulled up a Tentacool, which honestly grossed me out so I let it go, rod and all. A quick look back at the captain's cabin confirmed that he hadn't seen that little mishap.

"I'm sure he's used to people losing his rods all the time," Lucas called out. "That's probably why they're all old rods."

After fetching another one, I kept at it. More and more Magikarp were pulled up, and I always let them go. While the temptation of a Gyarados was there, I didn't want to bother training a Magikarp for who knows how long to get one. I wanted a Pokemon that would do me good right from the get-go. After a couple hours of failures or Magikarp, I took a break to eat lunch, then got right back into the hunt. Lucas never once took up a rod himself the entire time.

"Don't you want a Water type?" I asked him at one point.

"I've got one. Much better than anything we could catch out here."

"Oh? What is it?"

"It's a secret."

Choosing to ignore him again, I turned my attention back to fishing. Just as I was about to call it quits for good, I got another bite. I put my all into reeling it in, hoping it wouldn't be another Magikarp. What came up out of the ocean was a pink critter I had never seen before.

"Whoa! What is it?" I called out.

"Catch it, dummy!" Lucas called out.

Reacting faster than ever before, I threw the Pokeball at my feet at the Pokemon. It was sucked into the device, and made little effort to break out. I picked up the Pokeball and cheered.

"Finally! Something good!"

"Congrats. It's a Shellos, by the way." Lucas told me.

I released my new critter immediately, hoping to scan it for more info. She was pink in color, with a white underbelly. I dug around my bag for my Pokedex and pointed it at her.

"Shellos, the Sea Slug Pokemon. Its color and shapes differ from region to region. In the Sinnoh region, two types are confirmed."

"Cool! Does that mean I can find the other type if I keep fishing?"

"Nope," Lucas cut in, kneeling down to pet my new catch. "The only kinds you'll catch here are the pink ones. If you want the other type, you'll have to go fishing in the eastern seas. Around Sunyshore City, probably."

"Aww, man. Well, I guess that's something to look forward to when I get over there!" I nodded.

"Shellos might not be a bad choice for the battle against Byron."

"Really? But I thought Water types weren't effective against Steel?"

"They're not, but they're also one of the few types Steel doesn't resist. If you had a Fire type it would be much better, but Shellos is better than nothing."

I knelt down beside Shellos and gave her a pat. The small Pokemon slowly crawled up against me, rubbing its body on my leg. "Good girl."

I put her back in her Pokeball, then gathered up the rod and tackle box to take it back down below. I took a seat next to Lucas once all that was done.

"Tired?"

"Yup. You just sat here all day."

"Not often you just get to sit around all day. I miss when I was in school, you know?" He said nostalgically.

"Really? I don't."

"Well, you've only been out here a little while. Watch, you'll wish someone or something could carry you places soon enough."

"You sound like an old man." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Well, I am older than you, baby sister." He laughed.

"You're 11. Shut up." I jabbed his shoulder.

There was a moment of silence between us, before Lucas asked, "Have you heard from Iris?

"No." I shook my head. "Have you?"

"Couple weeks ago. She's still in Kanto, but I think she's coming back home soon."

"Really? Is she done collecting badges over there?"

"I don't think so."

"That's so weird. Why would she quit like that?"

"I think it's because of everything that's happened in Kanto recently." Lucas shrugged. "The whole mess with Team Rocket."

"But I thought that was last year? You mean they're still messing things up over there?"

"Don't know. I remember hearing on the news a while back that the local champion was missing."

"He is," I pointed out. "It was on the news before I left home. No one knows where he is."

"Maybe it's best that Iris comes home, then."

It was a strange sensation. Every kid who goes out on their Pokemon journey knows it could be dangerous. Pokemon were wild, after all, but as long as you had your own Pokemon with you there wasn't much to be afraid of. But Team Rocket was different, they were out there hurting trainers and Pokemon alike. Before I left home, the news would often share a story about a trainer who was robbed of their Pokemon, or worse. Iris was a great trainer, and she was very smart, much smarter than me. So I knew she wouldn't show up on the news like that, but it was still scary to think that she could. I had planned on going to Kanto myself after finishing with the Sinnoh League, but now I wasn't so sure anymore.

"You think things will get better soon?" I asked Lucas.

"I don't know. Why?"

"No reason." I lied, but he saw right through me.

"Might be better if you don't do any of the leagues south of here for a while."

"But then where will I go next?" I asked him.

"There's always Unova. Or Kalos. No word of Team Rocket over there."

Ruby said she was going to Kalos, but honestly I was more interested in Unova. I had heard Unova's Pokemon League was different from the ones here on the mainland, so it would certainly be a fun experience. And it's not like I wasn't going to try that league, either. But going there first wasn't a bad idea, given how messed up things were in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn.

The ship's small horn interrupted out chat. Once it died down, the intercom turned on and we heard Captain Eldritch's voice.

"We're approaching Iron Island. Get ready to disembark."

I got off my seat and ran to the front of the ship. Just a short ways off I could see Iron Island. Most of it was a large, rocky mountain. Lucas had said most of the island was underground, filled with Rock and Ground types. With Shellos on my team, and a good Ground type as well, I was certain I'd be able to take out Byron once we got back to Canalave City.

* * *

Eldritch's ship dropped anchor beside a tiny pier on Iron Island. Once the ramp was extended, we were let off the ship. Lucas and I were the only passengers on this trip, but it looked like Eldritch would have more passengers on the return trip. Because his ship was so slow, we'd have to wait until tomorrow to go back.

"So we have to camp out here tonight?" I asked my brother.

"There's a cabin just outside the entrance to the island's caves. It's owned by Byron himself, and he lets trainers use it. We can stay there tonight."

How nice of him, I thought. Almost as if he was giving the trainers hope before crushing them in battle. Of course, I had never met Byron, so I was making all these assumptions based on just his type preference and his picture I'd seen on the League brochure. The only Gym Leader I had ever met in person was Gardenia, the Eterna City leader. She visited my classroom once when I was 8, and she seemed really friendly. I'd have to pass by home some day to challenge her.

Lucas led the way up some crudely made stairs to the entrance of the caves. Flying all around us were Wingull and Pelipper, but they weren't coming close enough to try and catch one. I'd always thought Wingull to be a cute Pokemon, so I wanted to catch one some day.

"How big are the caves?" I asked.

"Pretty big, I think. Byron himself likes to come here to train, and he has a Steelix on his team."

That worried me a little. Steelix was a massive Pokemon, making its family member Onix look small by comparison. I could see why Lucas said a Fire type would be ideal. Gible could probably learn a Fire move if I had a TM handy, but I didn't and even then he was pretty tiny compared to a Steelix.

"What other Pokemon does he have?"

"No idea." Lucas replied. "I heard about the Steelix from a friend. Apparently Byron and Jasmine are good friends, since they both use Steel types."

"Who's Jasmine?"

"Another Gym Leader, from Johto. She's super cute, too." Lucas added, and I noticed a slight blush when he did.

"So will we find any Fire types here?"

Lucas shook his head. "No. But there are supposed to be a few Ground types, so we'll have to settle for those."

"Bummer." I sighed. Fire types were pretty hard to come by in general, more so if there wasn't an active volcano around. The people in Hoenn had it easy.

I followed Lucas into the caves, which were lit up by lanterns as well as light coming in from cracks in the ceiling. The first part of the cave was huge, and it was filled with quite a few people battling or trying to capture wild Pokemon. Flying around the cavern were Zubat and Golbat alike, while the ground was littered with Geodude and the occasional Graveler. Off in a corner I could even see an Onix, which was being attacked by another trainer's Pokemon, but I couldn't make out at this distance what it was.

"There's a lot of people here," Lucas pointed out.

"Should we just go down there and start catching?"

"I don't see any Ground types. They might be hiding deeper in the cave."

"How much deeper? It's getting late, and I don't want to get lost here before it gets completely dark." Not that I was afraid of the dark, but I certainly didn't want to be forced to make camp in this cave when there was a nice little cabin outside.

"No clue. But I'm in no hurry." Lucas started down a rough path to a clearing within the cavern.

"I'll stay here," I called out to him. "See what I can find."

"Okay. Don't get into trouble, Mia."

"Yeah, yeah." I said dismissively, before going down a different path than him.

Most of the trainers were in the center of the cavern, and from where I had been standing I could tell there wasn't anything but Geodude and Graveler there. However, off in the dim corners there might be rarer Pokemon hiding out. Jumping from rock to rock, I made my way down into a part of the cavern that was virtually deserted. After all, if there were Ground type Pokemon here, they'd probably be hiding underground. I pulled out Shellos' Pokeball and released my newest catch.

"Alright, girl. I want you to use Water Pulse right there on the dirt."

Shellos looked at me for a moment, then at the spot I had signaled. Clearly she was confused about the order, but all the same followed it. Releasing a pulsing torrent of water, it soaked the dirt ahead of us thoroughly. I waited for a moment, wondering if the attack had disturbed some wild Pokemon hiding underground.

After a few moments, nothing happened.

"Well, that didn't work. Let's try over here, then."

Shellos repeated the action in a different spot, but again nothing came crawling out of the ground. I honestly didn't know what kinds of Pokemon to expect, but I figured this the best way to get them to come out. None of my Pokemon could get down there with Dig, so this was the only means at my disposal.

On the third try, I felt the ground rumble a bit at my feet. I looked back to where the other trainers were, making sure it was a result of my actions and not a small quake caused by the Onix on the other end of the cave. No one else seemed to notice, so I told Shellos to hit the same area with Water Pulse again. My pink critter did as she was told, and again I felt the rumble, this time more intense than before.

"Alright, Shellos. Do that again, but this time from over here." I instructed, moving away from the general area and onto some rocks. If whatever came crawling out was large, like Onix large, we didn't want to be anywhere near the soft dirt. Shellos crawled up to me (slowly), and used Water Pulse one more time.

Even from the more solid rocks we were on, I felt the rumble even more than before. There were murmurs from behind, meaning the others also felt it that time. I continued watching the spot Shellos had blasted with water, until something started shifting the dirt around. I reached into my bag for a Pokeball, ready to try and capture whatever came crawling out. From behind, I could hear some of the others coming towards us. Little did I know in that moment how welcome they would be in the next few minutes.

The ground shifted some more, and something popped out. I reeled back my arm, but the only thing I saw was a gray spike. A dull spike, at that. It didn't move right away, so I lowered my arm and prepared to go down there and inspect it. That's when the rest of it emerged from the ground. It was massive, its gray body closer to a silver in color now that it was exposed to some light. A Steelix.

The snake-like Pokemon bellowed as it pulled itself from the ground, turning its attention to the trainers that were approaching Shellos and I. Some of them cried out, others began issuing orders to attack, while at least one started screaming outright.

The Steelix lurched forward, ignoring me completely and cutting a path through the rocks and trainers and other Pokemon in the cavern. Something this huge wasn't going to be easy to catch, much less with so many other people trying to do the same. As the large Pokemon rampaged in the cavern, I looked back at where it emerged from. Other Pokemon were crawling out of the hole, meaning it probably led to a different part of the cave. Among the many Geodude and even a Zubat or two, I saw a Pokemon completely different from the rest. I dropped my Pokeball on the ground and pulled up the Pokedex instead.

"Mawile, the Deceiver Pokemon. Attached to its head is a huge set of jaws formed by horns. It can chew through iron beams."

The small, yellow Pokemon took notice of us because of the Pokedex. It didn't look at all menacing, but once it moved slightly to the left I could see the massive jaw the Pokedex had mentioned. It looked like the mouth of a Victreebel, only longer and black. As if moving of its own volition, the jaws on the Pokemon's back went wide, shining its rows of teeth at Shellos.

"Shellos, hit it with Water Pulse!"

Shellos spat out another torrent of water, striking the Mawile's jaws head on. The Pokemon stumbled back a bit before it started to run back into the hole it came from.

"H-Hey! Don't you run away!" I called out after it.

Scooping up my Shellos in my arms, I started running after it. The other wild Pokemon tried to get in our way, but I deftly ran past them all and after the Mawile. Beyond the hole was another cavern, this one even larger and darker. If I lost track of the Mawile here, I'd never find it again. Fortunately, the Pokemon stopped running and turned its jaws at us again.

"Shellos, another Water Pulse!"

From my arms, Shellos blasted the wild Pokemon again with water before I placed her on the ground. The jaws seemed to yell at Shellos before moving in to bite her. Unable to move fast enough, they took hold of Shellos and lifted her off the ground.

"Shellos! Use Harden!"

My Pokemon's body turned smaller, and it began to shine much the same way Cascoon had the day before. The wild Mawile continued to try and crush Shellos with its jaw, but it couldn't seem to break through the defensive move. Angered, it tossed Shellos back in my direction. My Pokemon righted itself, a little hurt from the fall but not so much from the attack itself.

"Hit it with another Water Pulse!"

Shellos again blasted it with a torrent of water, and this time the Mawile fell back on its smaller, yellow body. Taking advantage of the opening, I threw a Pokeball at it. The Pokemon was absorbed into the device, and it tried desperately to break out. But after a half dozen shakes, the ball went silent.

"Alright! Good work, Shellos!" I scooped the slug into my arms and gave it a kiss. Something I probably shouldn't have done given how slimy its body was.

After putting Shellos back in her Pokeball, I wiped my mouth of that icky slime before collecting Mawile's Pokeball. This was my fifth Pokemon now, but as a Steel type it wasn't exactly what I needed to fight Byron. Still, I'm sure Mawile would come in handy at some point.

"There you are!" I heard a voice from behind. I turned around to see Lucas.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, thank god. When I saw that Steelix I thought you were crushed by it. What happened?"

"Uhh... don't know? I was just looking for Pokemon when it came right out of no where! Scary, huh?" I tried my best to force a laugh, which probably sounded fake as can be. At the same time, I kept Mawile's Pokeball hidden from my bother.

"If you're scared it's okay to admit it, sis." Lucas sighed. Thankfully he didn't get what I was hiding in the first place.

"Yeah, sorry. I think I'll go back to the cabin, now."

"Already? Did you catch anything?" He asked, confused that I'd leave so suddenly.

"Maybe~! I'm not telling!" I stuck my tongue out, having dropped Mawile's Pokeball in my bag behind my back. I made towards the exit to the cavern we were currently in.

"Whatever. I'm gonna keep looking, so I'll see you back at the cabin. Sure you're okay?"

I crossed my arms and puffed my cheeks. "I'm a Pokemon Trainer too, you know. You don't have to keep treating me like a kid."

"Sorry, you're right." Lucas scratched behind his head.

"But thanks," I added, along with a jab to his shoulder. "I'll see you later.

Back in the other cavern, the Steelix was gone. Whether it got away or someone caught it I never did find out. The damage it caused to the area was crazy, showing how dangerous it was to hunt Pokemon in cramped places like this. I quickly made my way out of the cave, mostly to avoid any battles with trainers looking to let off some steam following the Steelix affair.

Once I was outside the cave, I was greeted by the sight of the setting sun. But more importantly than that, I saw that Captain Eldritch's ship was still docked! With lightning speed I ran back down to the pier, making it onto the ship just before he was ready to cast off.

"You again? Weren't you here with a boy a moment ago?" He asked, remembering one of his only two passengers from the whole day.

"Yeah, but there's nothing else to do here. It's okay if I leave now, right?"

She shrugged his shoulders and nodded. I had a valid return ticket after all, so whether it was now or later I could leave. After pulling up the anchor, Captain Eldritch moved up to his cabin and sounded the ferry's horn to announce departure.

It'd be a long trip back, but I'd probably just sleep the entire way. Once the ship was on its way, I turned on my Poketch to send Lucas a message.

* * *

 _To Lucas:_

 _I'm on my way back to Canalave. Have fun on your own! :P_


	8. A Gym Leader & An Idol

A Gym Leader & An Idol, Chapter VIII

* * *

 _From Lucas:_

 _You left me on the island?! That's the last time I help you!_

* * *

It was close to midday when I finally woke up.

Captain Eldritch's beds were good for catching up on sleep, but they were awful for getting a restful sleep. We got back to Canalave City some time after midnight, so I dragged myself all the way to the Pokemon Center and crashed on the same couch I had the previous night with Lucas. Because he was down in the cave, he didn't get the message I sent him until he crawled out, so I woke up to that fun response from him. I knew that if I was still in Canalave tonight when Lucas got back, I would never hear the end of it. Also, he'd probably challenge me to another battle, which I was certain I couldn't win. Thankfully it'd probably be past midnight before Lucas would arrive if Captain Eldritch kept the same schedule as he did the previous day.

So with time to spare, I made for the Canalave City Gym. Admittedly I was nervous, not only because it was my first gym match, but also because of everything I'd heard about Byron's Pokemon from Lucas. My team wasn't ideal for this match, but still I found myself standing outside the gym before I knew it.

I took a deep breath before opening the door, not bothering to even give myself a pep talk. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as Lucas made it out to be?

Maybe it's because I expected a simple, plain and even boring battlefield. After all, when I'd watched official Pokemon League matches on TV, the battlefield was always perfectly defined and typically devoid of any obstacles. But the Canalave City Gym was nothing like that. At the entrance, there was a rectangular box drawn on the floor with white paint, most likely the challenger's box. From there, white lines spread out in either direction before bending at right angles away from the entrance. But what was inside those white lines marking the battlefield was anything but simple.

Steel plates making up the ground. Panels made of the same shiny steel acting as walls, and metal wires that would drag some of these horizontal panels up and down like elevators. In short, this gym was designed by a Steel type trainer for Steel type Pokemon. It suddenly hit me that Lucas' idea of catching a Ground type was pretty much useless; there was no actual ground for them to use. And I was still without a single Fire type to turn the tables on Byron.

"Welcome to the Canalave Gym!" Came a bellowing voice that echoed throughout the cold room. Looking straight ahead, I couldn't find the source of the voice. "Up here!"

My gaze turned up. Standing on one of the steel platforms stationed about two stories above and on the opposite side of the gym was a man with messy brown hair and an equally unkempt beard. His white shirt was filthy, as if he'd been rolling around in dirt for weeks, and his pants were just as dirty on top of being torn at the edges. Tied around his neck was a black cape of all things, an article of clothing I hadn't seen in actual use... ever. Not counting TV shows where heroes and villains wore them for dramatic effect. In one hand he held a shovel that looked just as worn as the rest of his outfit. And in the other, he held a single Pokeball.

"Looking for a match, young lady?" The man called out from his platform. Thankfully the entire gym allowed his voice to carry and even echo nicely.

"Yes! My name is Mia Caelum, and I wish to challenge you for a badge!" I shouted back.

The man, who I assumed at this point was Byron, pressed a switch on the platform he was standing on. Slowly it lowered down to my level, and he walked across the gym to stand right in front of me. He asked for my Trainer ID, which I handed to him. He looked over it for about five seconds before returning it.

"This your first challenge?" He asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"I'll have to turn you down, Mia."

"What? Why?!"

"My gym isn't for newbie trainers like yourself. If you want to prove yourself worthy, I suggest you challenge my son in Oreburgh, first." Byron stated, before turning his back to me.

"I didn't come here to be turned away!" I shouted. This caused him to stop and turn back towards me.

"Really? Well, let's make this a one-on-one battle, shall we? You win, you get the Mine Badge. Lose, and you don't come back until you have at least four badges. Sound fair?"

I nodded fiercely. "Yeah!"

"Choose your Pokemon." Byron ordered, before heading back to the platform he was on originally. I had one shot at this, so I had to go with the bed chances of winning. According to what Lucas had told me, Byron was most likely to use Steelix in this match. I wanted to use Mawile, but since I hadn't really practiced with her yet, I went with Gible. With his small size and a bit of creative orders, I could maneuver around the Steelix.

I released Gible from his Pokeball. My small dragon opened his mouth wide to growl at Byron. The one Pokeball he had in his hand he tossed down to the floor, releasing a Pokemon much smaller than the Steelix I anticipated. Without missing a beat, I pulled out my Pokedex to scan it.

"Bastiodon, the Shield Pokemon. When attacked, they form a wall. Their rock-hard faces serve to protect them from the attacks."

"Let's see if you can even scratch my Pokemon. Your move, trainer." Byron called out, signaling the start of the match.

"Alright, Gible. Hit him with Dragon Rage!"

Gible was part Ground type, something that had slipped my mind until now. However, without any actual ground in this gym, that advantage was completely gone. My small dragon started a charge towards Bastiodon, his wide mouth open and ready to blast Byron's Pokemon with dark flames.

"Bastiodon, Iron Defense!"

Byron's Pokemon stood its ground, stiffened its neck and prepared to take Gible's attack head on. Once Gible was close enough, he coughed up the dark flames at Bastiodon, but it looked like the attack was being deflected by Bastiodon's face. There wasn't a hint of damage on Byron's Pokemon!

"Gible, Dragon Rage again!"

My Pokemon launched another attack before Byron could say anything. Not that he had to; again Gible's attack seemed to bounce off Bastiodon's face like it was a mirror.

"No way..."

"You're free to give up when you want to." Byron informed me.

Thinking back to what the Pokedex had said, Bastiodon's front was the strongest point. If I could get Gible behind him...

"Gible, jump over him and use Slash!"

My Pokemon darted towards Bastiodon, who didn't even budge from his spot.

"Ancient Power!" Byron called out.

As Gible leaped into the air, a powerful shockwave radiated from Bastiodon's body, slamming into Gible and sending my Pokemon flying into the air.

"Now, Flash Cannon!"

While Gible was still in midair, Bastiodon's face began to shine brightly, which culminated in a single ray of light and shot forth like a beam directly at Gible. It struck dead on, sending my Pokemon flying even higher, until he crashed into the ceiling. Gible remained there for a moment, before falling back to the ground. I stood my ground, not wanting to get called out for running onto the field during the match. Not that it would have mattered; Gible was out cold.

"You lose." Byron stated bluntly.

* * *

I couldn't help but sulk while I waited in the Pokemon Center for Gible to get treated by Nurse Joy. I thought I could take him out, and clearly he was way out of my league. Were all Gym Leaders just as hard? Or was Byron one of the best in the region? Or the best in the region? Lucas said it wouldn't be easy, especially for me. I guess he was right after all. I didn't even make full use of the field, not that it mattered at this point. A deal was a deal, and Byron made sure to remind me that I couldn't challenge him again until I had at least four badges to show him.

Meaning, I had to come back to Canalave City some day. Not that the city didn't have some charm, but being on the far end of the Sinnoh region it would be quite the detour.

"Enough complaining," I said to myself, shaking my head. I pulled out my Poketch and prepared a message.

* * *

 _To Lucas:_

 _You were right, Byron is tough._

* * *

I left it at that. I came close to admitting I had lost, but I didn't want to give my punk brother another reason to gloat. I was sure he'd ask, anyway.

Once Nurse Joy had returned my Gible, I packed up my things and set off back towards Jubilife City. From there, I'd have to head east through Route 203 to reach Oreburgh City. There was a cave between the two cities, which wasn't going to be fun but I'd try to make the best of it. I said hi to Luc the fisherman on Route 218, who was still trying to catch that Finneon. He didn't challenge me to a battle this time, and neither did any of the others on the bridge. I'm guessing they all remembered me as the one with the deadly Mareep.

It was close to sunset when I arrived in Jubilife City. I could push on to Route 203 and probably make it to the cave by nightfall, but rather than camp out I chose to stay in the city that night. The couches at the Pokemon Center were much better than my sleeping bag, anyway. While on my way to the center, however, I noticed a gathering of people to the north of the city. It still being early, I decided to drop by and see what was going on. The last time I was in the city, trainers in particular were excited about the Global Trade Station's grand opening. Were events really so common in this city?

Despite being at the back of a massive crowd, I could make out a cube-shaped building towering above the heads of the people. Fixed atop them all were dozens of satellite dishes, and below that sprawled across the face of the building itself was a TV screen larger than any I had ever seen in my life. Rather, I had seen it before; this was the station HQ of Jubilife TV, which broadcast all across the Sinnoh region as well as into the Almia region further south.

As for the reason for the gathering? Fortunately I didn't have to ask anyone in the crowd, as at that moment the giant TV which would normally display commercials tuned in to a live broadcast from within the station.

"Testing... 1, 2, 3..." The woman on the screen whispered into the mic. She was a reporter, one I had seen in the past on TV.

"We are live! Hello, Jubilife City!" She announced cheerfully to the crowd. Despite her not being able to hear them, the crowed cheered and began clapping at her greeting. "My name is Roxy and I'll be your host this evening! Thank you all for coming tonight!"

Again another cheer from the crowd. I was still waiting on the reason for this gathering.

"Tonight, we have a special guest here at the station! She needs no introduction, of course, but all the same let's give a warm welcome to Hoenn's very own Lisia!"

The crowd went wild this time. Between the screams and the whistling, I was wondering if this "Lisia" would even be heard over the noise. On the screen, Roxy stepped aside to allow a younger girl in a garish blue outfit to smile into the camera. Once she was there, the crowd went even crazier.

"Hi there, Sinnoh! I'm Lisia!" She introduced herself, which caused the crowd to throw up even more cheers. Lisia was actually super cute, something I had to admit of course. Her hair was dyed a fancy turquoise, and her outfit which I got a better look at now was actually super cute, the kind a performer would wear. Wrapped around her wrists were tufts of fluffy cotton, making her look vaguely like a Swablu.

"I'm a Contest Spectacular Idol! Together with my Altaria, Ali, we've come to Jubilife City to have a bit of FUN!" She winked into the camera. As you'd expect, the crowd went wild again. Her Pokemon being an Altaria gave her poofy sleeves and collar reason.

"Sinnoh doesn't have Pokemon Contests like the Hoenn region, but that doesn't mean we can't turn a lucky person in the crowd tonight into a brand new, up-and-coming IDOL!"

Again the crowd exploded, this time more the girls than the guys. I was quickly piecing together why each gender was here.

"I'll turn it back over to Roxy now. I hope to see you all soon! Bye-Bye!" She winked again, causing yet another uproar.

"Thank you, Lisia! This is Roxy again! In a moment, the doors to the station will open, and station representatives will emerge. We'd like you all to form orderly lines so you can all have a chance to register for the event. Now, unfortunately for you guys out there, Lisia won't be looking for a male contestant tonight."

Roxy pulled the mic from her face, as if anticipating the negative response from the crowd. I wanted to say it was an even split, but there were clearly more guys in the crowd than girls.

"But don't worry! Lisia has assured me that in the interest of fairness, she will hold another event for guys in Veilstone City next week!" Roxy paused to give the guys a chance to cheer. "And, so you don't walk away empty-handed tonight, Lisia will be giving away autographs to the guys in the meantime!"

More than ever before, the crowd exploded. I guess it would make sense, getting an autograph of your favorite idol. Personally, I hadn't heard of Lisia, but seeing as how she was from Hoenn that made some sense. When I was home, I usually stuck to the local channels and rarely saw shows or events from the other regions.

"The doors will be opening soon. I'd like it for all the guys to move to this side of the building," Roxy motioned to her right, our left, "and the girls on this side. Form those lines so we can get started!"

Instantly the crowd started shuffling around, with the guys moving to the left and girls to the right (from my point of view). I had no goals of becoming an idol, of all things, so I was about ready to leave when I remembered my sister Iris. She wanted to be famous like Lisia, at least that was one of her dreams when she was growing up. Part of the reason she went on her Pokemon journey was to get a chance at participating in the contests of the Hoenn region, which is why she went there first instead of Sinnoh. Of course, that was two years ago, so it made sense that she wouldn't know Lisia, who was probably something of a newcomer to the idol scene.

I took my place at the end of a line on the girls' side. All I wanted was Lisia's autograph, but if I got a chance to meet her in person instead of just getting an autograph- perhaps have my picture taken with her?- would _kill_ Iris. I'd simply leave the picture with Mom back home when I passed through there again, and eagerly await Iris' response.

Before long, the doors to the station opened, and the crowd began to cheer again. Not for the dozen or so employees in suits holding stacks of paper, but for Lisia herself who stepped out into the limelight (or fading sunlight, as it were). Behind her was a large, fluffy Pokemon; an Altaria, her personal Pokemon she'd nicknamed Ali.

"Hi, everyone!" Lisia called out to the crowd, her voice amplified by a headset and mic. "Who's ready to have some FUN?"

Again the crowd cheered. Even I joined in this time, finding the atmosphere to be contagious. If this was common in Hoenn, I seriously had to visit there sooner rather than later. Despite all the problems going on in those areas. Maybe that's why Lisia had come all the way to Sinnoh?

The girls' lines were moving much faster, since all we had to do was show our Trainer ID to the person taking applications. Lisia was on the other side, happily giving away autographs to three or four guys at a time. The way they all fawned over her made me ever so slightly jealous. A strange sensation, since in all my life I'd never once cared about boys like that. Or the fact that they would prefer the company of another girl. Or in the case of Lisia, practically drooling over her.

By time I reached a well-dressed man to present my ID, I hadn't even realized the entire time I was in line I had been staring intently at how the guys fawned over Lisia. Since I was one of the last girls in line, I only had to wait a short while for the applications to be wrapped up. One of them walked over to Lisia to whisper something in her ear. After the next batch of autographs, Lisia took a step back.

"Sorry, everyone! But it's time for me to hang out with the girls!" She announced with another of her trademark winks. Those guys who hadn't gotten an autograph groaned, but Lisia didn't give them time to linger in melancholy. "If there's time, I promise I'll give out more after the event!"

Those groans turned to cheers, and everything was back to normal. Guarded on one side by her Altaria and on the other by two men in suits, Lisia walked back into the station where the rest of the girls and myself were waiting.

"Alright, everyone! Who's ready to become an idol?" She asked the smaller group. Unlike the guys outside who were likely to praise the ground she walked on, the girls gave a happy cheer that was more subdued.

"Alright! Now, there's not enough time tonight to turn all of you into idols, so unfortunately I'll have to pick out just a few of you."

I guess everyone there knew as much, so there wasn't much protest like with the guys. Lisia walked up and down, looking over all the girls there. I was around the back of the crowd, so I figured the odds of her picking me were small. Not to mention I was hardly idol material, or at least I thought as much. Within seconds Lisia picked out one of the girls in the front of the crowd, a redhead with the cutest freckles on her nose. Then she picked out a brunette from around the center of the group, her hair in twin tails held together with adorable Pichu clips. She then picked out a girl with really dark hair, who probably was older than the other two. And finally...

"You there!" She pointed in my general direction. I looked to my right, seeing a taller girl with brown hair who immediately thought she had been chosen.

"No, the strawberry blonde!"

I felt my heart skip a beat. I looked to my left, seeing a girl with black hair. Same went with the couple girls behind me. I had almost forgotten what color hair I had, an inheritance from Mom.

"Me?" I finally muttered.

"Yes! Come on, don't be shy!" Lisia smiled.

I slowly made my through the crowd, feeling even more anxious as I did. I hadn't expected to get selected, so having to stand in front of the rest of these girls, all of which were probably here for the rare opportunity I was about to receive, was more than a bit nerve-wracking. Now standing beside the other two chosen girls, I realized what Lisia had been going for. A redhead, two brunettes of varying shades, and a blonde (even if my shade of blonde wasn't the typical golden). On top of that, if the girl with black hair was the oldest, that put the brown-haired girl at second oldest, followed by the freckled redhead and myself. I wasn't sure which of us was older, but chances were that'd be me. I had just started my adventure after all.

"I think this'll be perfect!" Lisia exclaimed. The girls in the crowd behind her let out a sad moan.

"Sorry, everyone! If only there was enough time! But! There is something the rest of you can help me with!" Lisia took a few steps to the side, standing right next to me. "I'll need help to give these girls an idol makeover!"

My eyes went wide. I can't say if the same happened to the other three beside me. The crowd of girls certainly took a shine to the offer, though. Instinctively I took a step back, only to bump into one of the men in suits that were accompanying Lisia.

"First off, I'll need each of you girls to pick one of your Pokemon to accompany you on stage!" Though the question was directed at the four of us, Lisia was looking at me first. On the spot again, I found myself muttering, unsure what to say.

"Well? It's okay, you don't have to be shy!" She smiled warmly at me, though it wasn't much to calm my nerves.

I found myself digging through my bag, trying to find a Pokeball. Trying to find Gible's, or even Mareep's. But when I finally latched onto a Pokeball and released the critter inside, what came out was Mawile. Surrounded by so many people, Mawile's jaw hanging off her back growled, causing some of the girls in the crowd to gasp. Lisia wasn't startled, however, and knelt down in front of my Pokemon with that same smile of hers.

"Hello! I'm Lisia! It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand to my Pokemon, which didn't move. I wanted to tell Mawile to be nice, but the words didn't come. After giving her a few moments, Lisia got back on her feet and looked at me.

"An interesting choice! I already have the perfect idea for you!" She beamed. What that idea was, or what it was referring to I had no clue.

From there, she went on to the brown-haired brunette, who chose a Pachirisu, and the redhead with her tiny Roselia. The eldest girl with the black hair actually chose a Gengar, of all things. If this was a contest of cutest Pokemon, no doubt Pachirisu would win. But even as I tried to put myself down, Lisia continued her speech to the rest of the girls in the crowd.

"You guys will be helping me get them ready, since we have to be on the air in one hour! Everyone, to the dressing rooms!"

Reacting to her command as if they were all Pokemon themselves, the crowd of girls swarmed past Lisia and onto the four of us. Swept away by the current of eager helpers, I could do nothing but let myself be dragged away from the entrance to the station and up a flight of stairs.

* * *

On the second floor of the station were several fitting rooms and a salon, no doubt used by the anchors on TV all the time. However, Lisia had been given free reign here for the night, and every fitting room and the salon were under her direct control and supervision. If she had never been in charge of a dressing room, she sure was a natural. Wasting no time at all, she split the mass of girls that had dragged the four lucky (or is it unlucky?) would-be idols into five groups. Four of them were for helping us get into our outfits, whatever those would be, and the fifth for getting the stage ready up on the fourth floor. As I awaited my fate at Lisia's hands, I took small comfort in the fact that whatever was going to happen, would happen in less than an hour and probably wouldn't last more than an hour after that. Of course, whatever happened during that hour might come to haunt me for the rest of my life.

"We'll start with you." Lisia said to me, snapping me back into reality.

"Huh?"

"I think you need something yellow. With plenty of black, to match your Mawile. If only you had a Pokemon that better fit your amazing hair color! You look adorable in that skirt by the way, so maybe a skirt would be best? What do you think?"

The information was coming in so fast that I didn't even have time to consider it all. Not to mention I'd have to speak over the girls helping Lisia, who were all trying to get their own opinions in. No doubt any one of them would rather be in my place, and I was willing to give it up in exchange for a single autograph and photo with Lisia.

Naturally, before I could even offer this, Lisia had walked away, picking out an outfit from a rack nearby and placing it up against my chest. If this one was one her old get-ups, it certainly wouldn't fit me. Lisia noticed that as well, so she took it back in her hands and stared at it intently for a moment.

"I don't think we have time to alter it, but this is totally what I'd have used. Shame you aren't a bit bigger." She sighed.

I felt a blush burn on my cheeks, feeling ever so inadequate for a split second. "Then use someone else who does fit. I really only want a picture and an autograph."

The shock from the rest of the girls around me was almost too much to bear. Still, I held my head up high and looked Lisia right in the eyes. She didn't seem to be offended, which was a good start.

"Is that so? Well, I'm always ready to please a fan!" She smiled, and snapped her fingers. As if from no where, one of the men in suits showed up with a camera. Where was this guy? Was he peeping on us? Would he have seen me get undressed?!

As I contemplated all this, Lisia took a spot beside me, got the girls behind me to clear out, and snapped the picture herself. The camera printed the picture immediately, which Lisia took and with the snap of her fingers again, got a pen to sign it and hand it to me. All in the span of about 20 seconds.

"Here you go! I'm so sorry we couldn't turn you into an idol."

"It's okay, I'm not really cut out to be one, anyway." I admitted, thankful I wouldn't have to endure any more of this insanity.

"Then I guess I'll have to choose a replacement." Lisia announced, faking a level of sadness that probably didn't exist on the spectrum of melancholy. Of course, all the girls around us immediately started begging to be chosen.

My goal here complete, I put the photo in my bag and started for the stairs. I was escorted out of the building by one of the men in suits, and finally I was back outside. I was the center of attention for all of 10 seconds, since the guys who were denied entry into the building were awaiting the show that was going to air in just under an hour. Walking past all of them, I turned for the Pokemon Center on the other side of the city with all haste. I personally couldn't wait to get onto one of their couches and sleep it all off. But not before sending one more message for the night.

* * *

 _To Mom:_

 _I turned down an idol called Lisia when she wanted me to become an idol like her. It's just not my kind of life..._

* * *

And immediately after sending it, I got a reply.

* * *

 _From Mom:_

 _You're right, sweetie. That's Iris, not you. I promise not to tell her any of this._

* * *

Of course, what I didn't mention was the autographed photo I had acquired to rub in my sister's face the next time I saw her.


	9. Friends on the Road West

Friends on the Road West, Chapter IX

* * *

Route 203 stood before me. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what was sure to be a battle-filled trek, and started walking. The road seemed peaceful at first, though I could hear the sounds of trainers battling each other off the beaten path. I was thinking about finding a couple to challenge myself, since I needed the money already after my last visit to a Pokemart. But there was a cave for me to crawl through after Route 203, so I decided not to. I wanted to keep my Pokemon as healthy as possible for that.

Of course, if challenged I couldn't turn them down. And sure enough, I received a challenge before long. And from a boy I recognized immediately.

"Michael? Is that you?"

"Mia! You're okay!" The boy ran up to me and gleefully shook my hand. "I was so worried! Kaitlin sent me a message, but I haven't heard from her in days."

"I got her number, but I haven't talked with her, either. We went our separate ways at Sandgem Town, after spending the night at Verity Lake."

"What happened with Team Galactic?" Michael asked. The name was vaguely familiar, and I remembered he and Kaitlin had mentioned it back when we first met in the Sandgem Pokemon Center.

"Team Galactic?"

"Oh, that's what they call themselves! Haven't you heard?"

I shook my head, and Michael brought up his Poketch in response. After fiddling with the device a bit, he pulled up an audio file from the device. It was part of some broadcast he seemed to have pulled from the radio.

"What is this?"

"Hold up, here it comes..." He said, raising the volume as high as it would go. After a bit of chatter unrelated to the topic at hand, I heard a woman's voice.

"The Sinnoh Region has received a warning from a local affiliation calling themselves 'Team Galactic'. Headed by a man calling himself Cyrus, they warn all Pokemon Trainers and Gym Leaders to avoid their men on the roads and near the lakes of the region. They will respond with force if necessary. Authorities have since been informed of this threat."

With that, the recording cut out. "See? That's who they are!"

I nodded, remembering the scary leader of the group called Cyrus. Kaitlin and I had the unpleasant experience of meeting him just before Team Galactic retreated from Verity Lake. And judging by their announcement, they were definitely after the three rare Pokemon known as the Lake Guardians. Maybe I was right after all, and their plan is to enter the Distortion World and capture the Pokemon Giratina. Meaning... they had to be stopped.

"Well, it's a good thing the police already know about them," Michael continued, looking somewhat relieved. "I'd hate to run into them again, right?"

"Yeah," I said, not wanting to reveal my true intentions. "Where are you headed? Oreburgh City?"

"Nope, I'm going north, to Floaroma Town. I have a friend who's waiting for me there. Are you going to Oreburgh to challenge the Gym Leader?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Then why don't we have a battle? We didn't get to have one last time, because of the whole mess with Team Galactic."

"Sure thing. But I've gotten a lot better since then!" I boasted.

"Yikes! Well, so have I! I even caught a new Pokemon!" Michael claimed, before proving it by showing me the three Pokeballs now attached to his belt.

"Alright, let's do this then. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go!" Michael grabbed the first Pokeball and released his Bidoof. The last time I saw him, he had been badly hurt in the three-on-two battle against Team Galactic. It was nice to know he had made it out okay.

"Well, I'll show you my old Pokemon as well! Go, Cascoon!"

I released my first capture ever, now evolved. The last time Michael had seen him, he had been a small Wurple trying his best to stand up to the Galactic grunts. Our Pokemon ready for battle, Michael started the fight for real.

"Bidoof, use Hyper Fang!"

"Cascoon, Harden!"

Michael's Pokemon, adorable in a dorky sort of way, charged my Cascoon. With his massive buck teeth he bit as hard as he could into Cascoon, but my Pokemon's Harden skill repelled the attack effectively.

"Bidoof, Hyper Fang again!"

"Cascoon, keep up the Harden!"

With renewed vigor Bidoof tried to bite through Cascoon's shell, but no matter how hard he tried Cascoon's rock-hard skin would not budge. I didn't even have to get on the offensive, as Bidoof would no doubt tire himself out before long. In a way, I guess it was unfair to Michael, but a win was a win.

"Bidoof, Yawn!"

A rather odd choice of attack, but I realized how deadly it would be within moments. Bidoof let out a hearty yawn, causing even me to repeat the action. But the true point of the move was to lull Cascoon into a deep sleep within seconds.

"Cascoon, Harden!" I called out, but with my Pokemon fast asleep it just sat there helpless.

"Alright, now use Hyper Fang!"

Bidoof opened his mouth wide, drilling those buck teeth of his into Cascoon's softened shell. Unlike before, I saw them pierce the shell, causing me to panic a bit. I didn't know just how fragile Cascoon could be if his shell was penetrated, but until he woke up there was nothing I could do but watch. I prepared to call him back and admit defeat, when a bright light began to radiate from the point where Bidoof's teeth had cut through Cascoon's shell. My Pokemon was about to evolve!

Bidoof backed away instinctively, and from the cracked shell of Cascoon emerged a much larger and familiar Pokemon. The same kind that had so frequently bothered me in Eterna Forest, a Dustox! Taking to the sky immediately, I wasted no time in turning the tables on Bidoof.

"Dustox, Poison Powder!"

Dustox's bright green wings began to sparkle, and from them poured forth a thick sheet of purple dust. It covered the field completely, including Bidoof, and inflicting him with a potent poison.

"Bidoof, get up there and Headbutt!"

Trying his best to shake off the poison, Bidoof leaped into the air, but all Dustox had to do was fly a bit higher to dodge his attack.

"Dustox, hit him with Gust!"

Flapping his wings, Dustox created a small but powerful whirlwind that formed into a miniature tornado, striking Bidoof head on and sending him rolling back to Michael's feet.

"Bidoof, return!" Michael put his Pokemon back into its Pokeball, sparing him from further pain against Dustox. "That was lucky."

"I guess," I admitted. "I thought I'd lose when your Bidoof bit into Cascoon like that."

"Well, this time I'll use a flying type! Go, Zubat!"

Another Pokeball flew into the air, and out came a Zubat. Though I was familiar with the Pokemon, I scanned it with my Pokedex all the same.

"Zubat, the Bat Pokemon. Even though it has no eyes, it can sense obstacles using ultrasonic waves it emits from its mouth."

"Zubat, Wing Attack!"

"Dustox, counter with Gust!"

Zubat flew in close, moving through the air much faster than my Dustox. Flapping his wings at lightning speed, Zubat slapped Dustox around in the air a bit, causing him to lose his balance and tumble to the ground.

"Dustox, bring him down with Confusion!"

From his place on the ground, Dustox's eyes began to shine. Zubat suddenly twitched in midair, losing his balance and dropping to the ground right next to Dustox.

"Now get back in the air with a Gust!" I called out.

"Zubat, Leech Life!"

Dustox started flapping his wings to gain some lift, but Zubat scurried along the ground and latched onto Dustox with his tiny but sharp teeth. Dustox managed to get back in the air, but Zubat was too close to hit with the Gust attack. Once they were both in the air, Zubat let go, looking revitalized from draining some of Dustox's health.

"Dustox, Poison Powder!"

"Zubat, Supersonic!"

Dustox's wings began to sparkle again, but before he could blow the poisonous powder towards his opponent, Zubat had already blasted him with a shriek even I could sense at a distance. Slapped with a state of confusion, Dustox stopped his attack, finding it difficult to even remain in the air.

"Zubat, finish him off with Air Cutter!"

Zubat flew a horizontal loop in the air, launching a powerful shock wave of air at Dustox. Unable to dodge, it him my Pokemon dead on, knocking him back to the ground. There was no way I'd win at this point, so I called back Dustox.

"Hah! How'd you like that?" Michael gloated.

"You sure know how to use your Zubat," I said, putting my Pokemon back in my bag. "But let's see if he can handle this."

My next critter was Mareep, which I could tell had Michael nervous from the get-go. Before he could even come up with a strategy to win this fight, I had Mareep end it.

"Mareep, Thundershock!"

My sheep's horns let off a faint glow, before discharging the electricity directly at Zubat. The flying Pokemon couldn't hope to dodge, and was struck with the electric attack. Left crispy to say the least, Zubat came crashing to the ground, out cold. Gritting his teeth, Michael called back his Pokemon.

"Darn..."

"Even the best Flying-type doesn't stand a chance against electricity! So, what's next?" I asked him.

"Actually, that's it for me." He admitted defeat. "I have one more Pokemon, but I'd rather not lose him too and be left with nothing before getting back to town."

"Makes sense," I nodded, and put Mareep away again. "It was a good battle, Mike."

"Yeah, thanks! Next time, I'll win for sure." He said, offering me a handshake.

"Maybe." I laughed.

I received my earnings, shared numbers and parted ways after that. It was nice to know that my Poketch was filling out quite nicely, and that before long I'd have to start turning down people when they wanted to exchange numbers. With a spring in my step and a cool breeze in my face, I continued on Route 203.

* * *

I stood outside the Oreburgh Gate. From what the map said, it wasn't a very long cave, but all the same I was a bit hesitant to go inside. Partly because the last time I went into a cave, there were Steelix that could easily crush me in an angry rampage. Not that I expected that kind of Pokemon here, but I found myself being more cautious than usual. In any case, it was almost lunch time, so I figured a break was in order before going through.

Setting up a nice picnic just outside the entrance, I had gotten some snacks out when someone called out to me. She was a girl who looked my age, wearing a green outfit and hat that made her look like a forest ranger.

"If it's a battle you want, can you wait until after lunch? I'm kinda hungry." I said right away.

"Oh no, not that. But if you don't mind, could I join you for lunch? Always better to eat with friends!"

"Oh, well sure." I said, moving over slightly so she could sit in front of me and share the blanket. "I'm Mia, by the way."

"Diana. It's nice to meet you." She smiled, her dark pigtails bouncing as she sat down in front of me.

"You going to Oreburgh as well?" I asked as I opened up a bag of chips.

"Uh huh," Diana nodded, digging into her pack for her own food. "Are you trying to collect badges?"

"Yeah. I want to compete in the Pokemon League."

"Well, good luck! I'm just traveling for fun."

"I see. That's cool, too." I gave her a weak smile.

Honestly, I didn't understand people like Diana. I mean, I knew that competing in the Pokemon League wasn't the only reason to go on an adventure, but it just felt so weird to me. At least, if Diana had said she was on an adventure to become a Pokemon Breeder, or something else like that I'd understand. But just traveling for fun? Apparently, my thoughts seemed to be read by the girl in front of me.

"Doesn't sound very exciting compared to you, huh?" She laughed.

"Not really," I said truthfully.

"I tried to get my first badge and lost. I'm not a very good trainer, so I gave up." Diana shrugged.

"After one loss?"

"You should have seen me. It was awful." She stuck her tongue out playfully.

"But just one loss and you quit? I lost my first gym match too, you know." It was a fresh memory, to boot.

"Really?"

"Really. But just because of that I'm not going to quit! You shouldn't either!" I told her, feeling more passionate about this than I thought I actually was.

"Well... I don't know." Diana said, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Being a Pokemon Trainer is all about learning!" I said, putting aside my snacks-for-lunch. "So you lost a battle. It's not the end of the world."

"You didn't see me," Diana chuckled. "It was really bad."

"Doesn't matter! So you got your butt kicked. While you wait for your Pokemon to heal up at the Pokemon Center, you think about different ways to win next time you try!"

"I guess that's true..."

"You know what? Let's have a battle." I told her, fishing out a random Pokeball from my bag.

"Right now? But what about lunch?"

"Never mind that! Come on," I grabbed Diana's hand, forcing her to drop her sandwich on the blanket as I dragged her off to a side.

"I thought you said you wanted to finish eating first?"

"This is more important! Can't let a trainer like you just give up!"

I positioned Diana near the entrance to the cave, while I took a few steps across from her. This wasn't going to be a real battle, just a demonstration of sorts. With that in mind, I released my Pokemon, which turned out to be Shellos. Diana took one of the two Pokeballs in her possession and released a tiny, green Pokemon. After darting back to my bag to get my Pokedex, I went back to my spot across from her to scan it.

"Budew, the Bud Pokemon. It lives alongside clear ponds. It scatters pollen that induces harsh sneezing and runny noses."

"Well, that's a super cute Pokemon." I smiled, unable to contain myself. Diana looked more than a bit mortified.

"See? Budew isn't really a great Pokemon to battle with."

"You're right," I pointed out, tossing aside my Pokedex. "But that can be a point in your favor!"

"What do you mean?" Diana asked.

"Okay, Budew doesn't have a lot of power, right? Any Pokemon could probably beat it up real easy, even a Water type like Shellos. So what would you do first?"

Diana thought about it for a moment, before saying, "Budew, use Absorb."

Her Pokemon hopped forward, targeting Shellos and using the power of sparkles to drain some of her energy. This would be a super effective move, but Diana wasn't kidding about her Pokemon being really weak. Shellos hardly noticed the damage.

"Wow, that wasn't very strong."

Diana fidgeted. "See?"

"Okay, if you know your Pokemon isn't very strong, you have to try a different approach. What else can Budew do?"

"Umm... Growth? Water Sport, Stun Spore..." Diana counted off from memory. "That's it..."

"Wow, not much to work with, huh?" I let out a sigh.

"It's okay. I'm just not cut out to be a trainer." Diana said crestfallen. She aimed the Pokeball in her hand towards Budew, about to recall the Pokemon.

"Wait up! I'm not finished yet!"

Diana stopped just before forcing Budew back into its Pokeball.

"Budew might not be a strong Pokemon, but that doesn't mean he's useless! Or that you're a bad trainer! You just need to learn how to use him!" I put Shellos away and walked up to the tiny green Pokemon that belonged to my would-be opponent.

"But how?" She asked.

"First, you start with Stun Spore. If you can paralyze your enemy, they won't be able to move as fast, giving you a huge advantage."

"But that's not going to win the battle," Diana said.

"No, but with them paralyzed, you can either switch out Budew for another Pokemon to have an easier time. Or have Budew use Absorb as much as it wants!"

"I guess that makes sense..." Diana mumbled.

"Growth is a great move to power up your Pokemon. While they're paralyzed, you can use it to power up Absorb. Water Sport is much more useful than just weakening Fire type Pokemon, you know!"

"What do you mean?" Diana asked, clearly never having given it thought.

"Water Sport covers the area in water, makes everything nice and moist. Fire types weaken, but all the extra water powers up other Pokemon! Electric types can use the water to do more damage, Water types resist damage more, and Grass types can use the water to heal up quicker!"

"Really...? I think you're right..." Diana gasped, no doubt amazed it never occurred to her before.

"It all depends on where you're fighting and who you're fighting against. You have to know all about your Pokemon's moves in order to make full use of them in battle! That's the difference between tons of victories and tons of defeats!" I explained proudly.

My lesson done, I moved back to the blanket with our lunches and sat down again. Diana put her Budew back in its Pokeball and joined me.

"Thanks."

"Hmm? For the lesson? No problem!" I smiled at her.

"Yeah. Means a lot to me." She almost whispered.

"Like I said, no problem! Happy to help!" I continued munching on my poor choices for lunch.

"Umm... would you like one?" Diana offered me one of her sandwiches.

"Definitely! I thought you'd never ask!" I laughed, taking one from her. Not only did they look delicious, they tasted much better than I would have imagined!

"I can teach you the recipe, so you can make them for yourself."

"Thanks! Much better than eating junk food from the store." I admitted. Not that I didn't like my binging on chips and cookies, but sometimes I really missed Mom's homemade lunches. Unlike my sisters, who learned how to cook before going on their journeys, I hadn't in favor of focusing on Pokemon.

"And it's cheaper, too." Diana pointed out.

"Even better!" I laughed.

* * *

After finishing lunch, we cleaned up our little picnic area and marched through the entrance to the Oreburgh Gate. This wasn't Diana's first trip through the cave, so she offered to lead me.

"It's not a very long cave, and you really can't get lost," she said shortly after we went in. "But if you take any detours, you'll end up going deeper into the cave. There's a lot of stronger Pokemon down there."

"You know that's reason enough for us trainers to go looking, right?"

"I guess. But I don't want to go down there." Diana said, sounding just a bit scared of the prospect. I didn't want to be pushy, but I couldn't help but feel she'd benefit from a bit more experience battling.

"You have two Pokemon, right?" I asked her.

"Y-Yeah. Why?"

"Budew and...?"

"Abra."

I stopped to think about the idea. Budew wasn't exactly a great Pokemon for battle; that much we'd established during lunch. And Abra could become a really powerful Pokemon once it evolved into Kadabra, but until then wasn't much to look at. Diana's problem was her selection.

"Listen, how do you feel about Geodude?"

"Umm..." Her voice trailed as she struggled to come up with an answer to the question. The reason I had asked it was because I'd spotted one of the Rock Pokemon just a few feet away. This was the perfect opportunity for Diana to capture one and expand her options as a trainer.

"Do you have any spare Pokeballs?" I followed up.

She nodded, and produced one from her napsack.

"Great! Alright, look over there."

I pointed out the larger rock surrounded by smaller ones. To most anyone, even Diana, it was just a pile of featureless rocks. But I had seen them budge earlier, so I knew it was actually a Geodude in hiding.

"Is that... a Geodude?"

"Yup! Now, I want you to catch it!"

Diana looked to me with a panicked expression. "Huh?!"

"Don't worry! I'll be here with Shellos in case things get ugly. But I want you to try, okay? Release Budew and at least TRY to battle the Geodude and capture it."

Diana was probably my age, if not a bit older depending on when she started traveling. In fact, I was almost certain she was older than me by a couple months. But the way she was hesitant or downright scared of such a simple task for a trainer was shocking to me. I don't know what had come over me, but I had to try and help her feel better about herself as a trainer. And what better way than a step-by-step on catching a Pokemon? Never mind she had already caught one before with Abra.

Much to my surprise, she reached for a Pokeball from her set of two instead of bringing up another excuse. I guessed that to be a good sign: there was definitely a trace of a true trainer in her. With a flick of her wrist she threw the Pokeball out, releasing Budew once again.

"So I just start attacking?" Diana asked me.

"Yeah! Geodude hasn't seen you yet, so you have the perfect chance to start strong! Just remember everything I told you a little while ago."

Diana nodded, took a deep breath and then let it out. She still had the spare Pokeball in her hand, which she gripped tightly and brought up to her chest.

"Budew, Water Sport!"

The small plant began to bounce around the area, kicking up water from unknown sources (though I suspected they came from Budew itself) to moisten the ground around. Geodude got splashed a couple times, but didn't seem to care. That would allow Diana to keep the advantage.

"Growth!"

Her tiny Pokemon took a firm stance, drawing in power from what little light there was in the cave around us and the moist ground all around. She began to glow, a visual confirmation that the move had done its job.

"Now, Stun Spore!"

The tip of her Pokemon's head released a puff of yellow dust, landing directly on the pile of rocks. The paralysis taking effect, Geodude made itself known, letting out a low growl as it prepared its arms for combat. I noticed Diana flinch when this happened, but she didn't turn to me for help or even encouragement.

"Budew, use Absorb!"

Powered by the wet terrain and her previous buff, Budew began to drain health from Geodude. Added to the type advantage, Geodude's paralysis made it even easier for Budew's attack to leave the wild Pokemon nearly fainted from a single attack. Seeing this, I could tell Diana was shocked.

"Well?" I called out, and Diana turned to me. "Go on! Catch him!"

Turning her attention back to the Geodude, Diana took the Pokeball in her hand. With steady aim she threw it at the weakened Pokemon, trapping it in the circular device. It took a few shakes for the wild Geodude to give up and allow itself to become a part of Diana's team. When the Pokeball went silent, that silence persisted in the cave for a few moments.

"I... caught it?" Diana whispered.

"Congrats!" I cheered, giving her a pat on the back. "See? Not that hard!"

The girl in green walked over to the Pokeball, picking it up with both hands. She really seemed surprised by the outcome, like some part of her was certain capturing another Pokemon was beyond her ability.

"Thanks," she said, turning back to me. "Thank you."

"Huh? Why me? It was all you!" I cheerfully returned.

But Diana shook her head. "No, thank you for helping me. I wouldn't have even tried if it wasn't for you."

Hearing that, I suddenly found myself on the defensive. My cheeks began to heat up as I averted her gaze. Diana put her Pokemon away, including Budew, and then stood between me and the exit of the cave further down.

"Come on."

"Huh?"

"Let's go. You want to make it to the city on time to challenge the gym, right?"

A smile returning to my face, I nodded. "Yeah!" And with that I followed my new friend out of Oreburgh Gate.

* * *

Just beyond the Oreburgh Gate was Oreburgh City itself. Situated at the foot of Mt. Coronet, there was little greenery here compared to other cities I'd seen lately. Oreburgh was a mining town, or at least it used to be before it grew to as large as it was now. Regardless of size, the biggest thing in this city was still mining. To the south was Oreburgh Mine, the city's namesake. Mostly harvested for coal, the mine was also known to contain Pokemon fossils, however rare. When I was in school, we once took a field trip here to participate in an excavation for fossils. No one in my class found any, though.

"So it isn't your first visit?" Diana asked after I shared that little story with her.

"First as a trainer, though. But I know my way around."

"So are you going to the gym right away?"

"First a stop by the Pokemon Center, and then the gym." I said, before latching onto Diana's arm. "And you're coming with me."

"W-What? Why?" Diana panicked.

"You're going to be my good luck charm! How do you expect me to battle Roark without a bit of luck on my side?"

"B-But...! I'm not lucky?!"

"Sure you are! After all that help and motivation I gave you to capture a Pokemon in the cave? You're lucky, girl! And you're coming with me!"

Diana only tried to slither away once before letting me drag her along. Maybe she was doing it not to be my good luck charm, but to watch me battle for real. Maybe even rekindle her own passion to take on the Pokemon League challenge? My brother Seth would be the first to dismiss the value of cheerleaders and friends on your side, but the rest of my siblings sure didn't. If we could all have attended each others' Gym Battles, we certainly would have.

We passed the gym on our way to the Pokemon Center, and I resisted the urge to sneak a peak inside if only by the window. I'll admit I was extremely nervous about this match, given my failure against Byron. The good kind of nervous, like I wanted to get in there ASAP and kick Roark's butt. Diana had told me a bit about him on the way, details I hadn't learned while I was studying back home before beginning my adventure. After arriving at the Pokemon Center, I dropped my critters off with Nurse Joy and took a seat in the lobby. Diana had snuck away in the process, but she assured me she'd be back before long.

Taking her word for it, I pulled out my Poketch, which had a notification for a message on the screen. I punched at the device until the message was displayed.

* * *

 _From Kaitlin:_

 _I made it to Pal Park! Mia, you TOTALLY have to visit here! There's tons of rare Pokemon you can't find anywhere else in Sinnoh! I caught one here that I can't wait to show off to you! Hope to see you soon!_

* * *

"Rare Pokemon, eh?" I said aloud to myself. That was certainly reason enough for me to drop by and check it out. Unfortunately, taking a trip down there would be a huge backtrack for me, so it would have to wait until I came back to this part of the region later on in my adventure. I started to type in a reply to Kaitlin when Nurse Joy called me to take back my Pokemon.

With my team back at full strength, I stepped outside the Pokemon Center. Diana was no where to be seen, and she hadn't said where she was going, so I shrugged my shoulders and headed for the gym. She knew where I was going, so she'd be sure to find me there if she stopped by the Pokemon Center and didn't see me.

I opened the doors to the Oreburgh Gym. Unlike Byron's gym in Canalave, this one was mostly rectangular in shape, with a slope rising towards the opposite end. Covered in tons of rocks and with walls lined with the same stone, the only other thing of interest inside was a young man standing on the far side of the building. Once he saw me enter, he took a few steps forward. He was dressed in a gray worker's outfit and red hard hat. It also looked like his face was covered in layers of dirt and sweat, even from this distance.

"Welcome! This is the Oreburgh Pokemon Gym!" His voice carried in much the same way Byron's had. But if they really were father and son, I couldn't make out any similarities between the two at this distance. "Have you come for a challenge?"

"Yup! My name's Mia Caelum, and I challenge you for a badge!" I called out across the gym. Figuring he'd ask to see my ID, I prepared to take it out of my bag.

"Okay! We'll have a three-on-three match. First to lose all their Pokemon wins. Are you ready, Mia?"

Guess he didn't care about checking my ID after all. Dropping it back inside my bag, I pulled out Shellos' Pokeball first and released her. "I'm ready when you are!"

Even at this distance I could make out a smirk on Roark's face as he released his first Pokemon, a Geodude. I hadn't bothered to scan the one Diana had faced in the cave earlier, so I took out my Pokedex this time and aimed it at the critter.

"Geodude, the Rock Pokemon. At rest, it looks just like a rock. Carelessly stepping on it will make it swing its fists angrily."

"Piece of cake," I whispered to myself.

"Geodude, Rock Throw!"

Roark's Pokemon wasted no time in hurling the first rock down at Shellos. My Pokemon wouldn't be able to dodge incoming attacks, being as slow as she was. My only hope was to finish this as quickly as possible.

"Shellos, Water Pulse!"

Scurrying to a side to dodge the first rock, Shellos unleashed a burst of water across the field, striking Geodude directly in the face. Expecting the Pokemon to get up again, I stood ready to order another Water Pulse. However, Geodude didn't get up.

"Geodude, return." Roark called out, putting his Pokemon away.

"Huh? Is that it?" I said aloud.

"Geodude's not the best Pokemon I have. But it's okay, that was just a warm-up." Roark prepared his next Pokeball. If all his Pokemon were going to be just as weak, this would be over in no time!

Roark threw his Pokeball as hard as he could, landing it somewhere in the middle of the field. The device released the critter, which materialized into the massive rock snake Onix. Dwarfed by the Pokemon, Shellos would have no chance of dodging any attack if Onix got to move first.

"Shellos, Water Pulse now!"

"Onix, Screech!"

My Pokemon managed to launch her attack first, blasting a torrent of water directly up somewhere at Onix's chest (if it could even be called that). The attack seemed to hurt the large Pokemon, but rather than cry out in pain, it opened its mouth wide and let out a piercing scream that caused me to cover my ears. Shellos took the full brunt of the attack, her guard momentarily lowered as she tried to shake off the ringing in her ears.

"Onix, Rock Throw!"

"Shellos, dodge it!"

Onix slithered forward, tossing aside dozens of boulders on the ground as it did. Without much effort it raised its massive tail, hovering it above Shellos. My Pokemon was still unable to move, so all I could do was watch as Onix's tail came crashing down on Shellos. The attack kicked up a huge cloud of dust, obscuring my vision.

"Shellos? Are you okay?!" I called out into the cloud of dust. I couldn't hear any kind of response, and I still couldn't see my Pokemon or anything other than Onix's head above the cloud.

"Might want to call back your Shellos. I don't think she'll be fighting anymore." Roark said cockily from his end of the field.

Thing was, even if I wanted to call her back, I had to be able to see her to do so. Without any wind inside the gym, the dust was taking much longer than usual to settle. Onix remained stationary, waiting on his next order or to see Shellos for himself. That's when it hit me.

"Shellos! If you can hear me, Water Pulse one more time!"

The field remained eerily silent for a moment, until I heard the sound of water, and then Onix's cry of pain as it reeled back from the dust cloud.  
"Shellos, again!"

"Onix, Screech!"

Before Onix could let out another of those horrible growls, another burst of water shot forth from the settling dust cloud, striking him square on the face. His attack interrupted, I called out for one last Water Pulse. It cut through the air with tremendous speed, landing its mark once again. Onix fell back, completely knocked out. By now, the dust cloud settled, and I could see Shellos again. She looked really beat up, but was somehow still standing.

"Impressive. Didn't think she'd last against Onix." Roark gave me a short round of applause before putting his massive Pokemon away. That was two down, only one more to go.

"Shellos, only one more to go! Hang in there!" I said to my Pokemon. I saw her nod, telling me she was ready to keep fighting.

"Think you can take down the next Pokemon that easily? Think again!" Roark boasted before releasing his final Pokemon. It was a small, blue and gray dinosaur, his forehead much larger than any other part of his body. It gave off a proud gurgle before stamping one of its feet on the ground. I reached for my Pokedex one last time.

"Cranidos, the Head Butt Pokemon. It lived in jungles around 100 million years ago. Its skull is as hard as iron."

"Holy cow, a hundred MILLION years ago?!"

"Cranidos can't be found in the wild anymore. I had him revived from a fossil I discovered in the Oreburgh Mine, same as my dad's Pokemon." Roark informed me. So that's why I didn't recognize Bastiodon...

"Cranidos, finish off that Pokemon with Headbutt!"

"Shellos, stop him with Water Pulse!"

With another proud cry Cranidos took off in a sprint down the sloped battlefield and towards Shellos. My Pokemon was a bit slower now because of the damage she'd taken, but she managed to launch her attack before Cranidos closed in. The blast of water struck Roark's Pokemon right on its massive forehead, but it did nothing to stop its mad dash.

"Shellos, run!" I cried when I realized this.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Cranidos closed the remaining distance in seconds, slamming into Shellos hard and sending her flying backwards towards me. I managed to catch her, just barely maintaining my own balance in the process.

"Shellos! You okay?"

She let out a weak cry. Somehow she was still conscious, but clearly had no energy left in her.

"I think she's out for good. Best pick a new Pokemon, Mia." Roark said.

He was right. But as I reached for Shellos' Pokeball, I heard the door to the gym swing open behind me. Standing in the doorway was none other than Diana!

"Sorry I'm late, Mia!" She stated triumphantly before rushing to my side.

"Huh? You again?" Roark yelled across the field. It seemed he recognized Diana even at a distance. "We're in the middle of a battle here."

"I know. I'm just here to cheer on my friend!" Diana yelled. She turned to me, a small red bottle in her hands. "And to bring her this!"

"Is that...? A Super Potion?"

"Yup! A gift! Here you go!" Diana said, emptying the contents of the spray bottle all over Shellos. Within seconds the restorative item took effect, removing all traces of fatigue and hurt from Shellos' body! Revitalized, my Pokemon jumped out of my arms and crawled back into the battlefield.

"Well, that was unexpected..." Roark said.

"This is allowed, right? Using items?" I asked, figuring I could still call back Shellos to prevent getting disqualified.

"League rules say it's up to me. But since I didn't say anything at the start of the match..." Roark's voice trailed. He shrugged his shoulders. "My mistake for not saying anything."

"Yes!" I cheered.

"Cranidos, Headbutt one more time!"

"Shellos, Harden!"

Roark's Pokemon took a few steps back, gaining some momentum for his attack. Thanks to that, Shellos was able to successfully prepare her Harden ability, which allowed her to weather Cranidos' attack much more effectively than before. Despite ramming into Shellos with all its strength, Cranidos was unable to budge Shellos from her spot on the field.

"Water Pulse, now!"

Being this close, Cranidos could do nothing to dodge the attack. The stream of water struck the Pokemon right in its belly, knocking it off its feet.

"Cranidos, Leer!"

"Water Pulse again! Don't give him a chance to get up!"

Cranidos moved its head to stare down Shellos, but all it saw was another blast of water just before it struck dead on. Forced further back, Cranidos kept trying to stand up again, only to be knocked down again each time by a consecutive Water Pulse. I thought it almost unfair, but it wasn't our fault Roark's Pokemon wasn't quick enough _off_ its feet. Ironic considering how much slower Shellos was by default.

By the third consecutive Water Pulse attack, Cranidos was unable to get up at all anymore. A good thing, too, since Shellos was just about out of energy herself. With no other option left to him, Roark called back his Cranidos.

"This is embarrassing..." Roark said, tipping his hard hat to me. He walked down the slope of the field until he was standing right in front of me and Diana. "Guess I underestimated you, Mia. And overestimated my own Pokemon."

"It was a good match. I was just better than you!" I huffed.

"You sure were. According to Pokemon League rules, I present you the Coal Badge in honor of your victory."

Roark fished a tiny, equally dirty pin from inside his worker's coat. Nothing a little water wouldn't clear up, but I could clearly make out the hexagon in the center of the pin. The Coal Badge; my first badge. My first real step towards competing in the Pokemon League.

"Thank you. Thank you very much!" I said, unable to contain my glee.

"You've earned it. There are seven other gyms in the region, but I'm sure you know that. Looking to enter the Sinnoh League?"

"Yeah! I'm hoping to get all my badges in time for the Spring Tournament!"

"I'm sure you'll make it in time. You've got a real knack for battling, even if you were just using the same move over and over." Roark laughed.

"I'll get better. I've only been a trainer for a couple weeks."

"I know you will. Good luck out there."

* * *

Outside the gym, it was getting close to sunset. I was so proud of myself I hadn't bothered to put away my Coal Badge. And I wasn't sure whether or not to snap it onto my Trainer ID or use the badge case Roark had given me just before I left. Either way, I'd have to wash both before anything, since they were covered in dirt just like their previous owner.

"Congratulations, Mia." Diana said, having remained silent the entire time after my victory.

"Thanks! Are you sure you don't want to try yourself? You know what he battles like now, and you have Budew's type advantage!"

Diana shook her head. "No, not yet. If I plan to try again, I don't want to make the same mistake. I'll train my Pokemon, and get better before I challenge him again."

"Oh! So that's why Roark recognized you when you came in."

Diana nodded. "So I already know how he battles. And he knows how I battle too." She stuck her tongue out.

"Well, want to tag along with me? We can work together to get you up to snuff!"

"Sorry, but I'm staying in Oreburgh for a while. I have family here, and I haven't seen them in a while." Diana explained.

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess we can meet up again some other time? Want to add each other on the Poketch?"

"Yeah!" We quickly initiated the data transfer, and both devices confirmed we were friends. Not that we needed it.

Just as I was about to say farewell, Diana threw her arms around me in a hug. "Good luck out there, Mia! And thank you!"

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I hugged her back before squirming out of it. I wouldn't be on my way until tomorrow, but I didn't want to keep her from her family any longer. After another round of farewells, I started for the Pokemon Center, while she went down a different road. Along the way, I made sure to send out a message on my Poketch.

* * *

 _To Mom:_

 _I got my first badge!_


	10. The Mane of Blue Flames

The Mane of Blue Flames, Chapter X

* * *

 _From Mom:_

 _Congratulations, sweetie! Your brother Lucas sent me a message yesterday, saying he got his sixth badge in Canalave City. He also said you left him on an island? Why would you do that?_

* * *

Mom had sent that message the night before, but I chose to ignore it as I was eating dinner at the time. Now that I was reading it again, I didn't know what kind of reply to send. Of course, when I didn't know what to say, ignoring the message was always an option, and with accusations of this sort from Mom it was the only real solution. No doubt Lucas had exaggerated how we'd gone our separate ways back on Iron Island.

That said, there was probably no avoiding some kind of explanation when I stopped by home again. After all, that was my next stop: Eterna City's gym. North of Oreburgh City was Route 207, which didn't take me long to cross even on foot. The road was longest headed east, towards one of many entrances to Mt. Coronet. North of that was Route 206, otherwise known as the Sinnoh Cycling Road.

Being so close to Eterna City, this wasn't my first visit. Aside from taking this road on that field trip to Oreburgh City, Mom had let us ride down this road on bikes a few times before. Of course, since Pokemon Trainers were also common, we couldn't go all the way south to Route 207. For those of us without bikes of our own, on either end of the road were rental shops, since no one was allowed to walk on the road. If you couldn't afford a bike rental, or just wanted to take a more scenic route, there was always the path under the road. Crawling with wild Pokemon meant it was reserved for trainers.

But I wasn't going to be taking the low road this time. Even though I always dreamed of doing so when I was younger, my goal was to get to Eterna City before nightfall. And even taking the Cycling Road it would probably be a close call. Route 206 was one of the longest stretches in Sinnoh, running parallel to the base of Mt. Coronet almost as long as the mountain itself.

I walked into the gate that connected to the road proper, stopping by the counter on the side where I could rent a bike. There was a woman, looking to be in her thirties or so, reading a magazine on the other side. Before I called on her, I moved to a vending machine just off to a side to purchase a bottle of water. Normally I didn't care for the stuff, but it would be a long ride up to Eterna City. That in hand, I walked back up to the woman at the counter.

"Excuse me, I'd like to rent a bike." I asked, putting the water in my bag and readying my wallet to pay. The woman put down her magazine and looked at me.

"That'll be ¥800. You're only allowed to ride the bike to and from the offices located on either side of Route 206's overpass. Understand?" She said in a painfully dull monotone. Clearly the bit was rehearsed to the point it was second nature, like saying "bless you" when someone sneezes.

"I understand. Thank you!" I smiled at her, hoping the gesture would perk her up even a little bit. She took the money from me with the same tired expression before handing me a small key.

"Your bike is #67. Please ride safely." She went back to her magazine immediately. On the cover, I noticed a picture of Cynthia, the Sinnoh region Champion. Printed beside her was a small blurb:

"SINNOH CHAMPION SILENT! REFUSES TO DISCLOSE LOCATION OF COLLEAGUE."

With a sigh I walked away from the counter. The magazine was clearly referring to the issue with the Kanto Champion, who has been missing for a while now. That was pretty much a world away to me at the moment, so I set about finding bike #67 to be on my way. It ended up being a rather worn red bike, though most of its red color had been faded to the point it was almost pink. After taking the chain off the bike, I wheeled it to the exit leading north.

It would be an uphill ride, no doubt taxing on my legs, but I took a deep breath and set off. The sun was blazing today, so I expected to start sweating before long. Fortunately, the breeze was superb, and I could feel it rushing through my shirt. Ignoring modesty, I even adjusted my skirt so that the breeze would freely cool my legs as well. There were a couple other cyclists on the road, but all of them were so focused on the ride no one would care to look in my direction. I was just another person to avoid if they were riding in the opposite direction, and someone to speed past otherwise.

By the time I hit the halfway point, I decided to take a break. Even with the breeze by now I was sweating like crazy, as well as thirsty enough to drink a river dry. I set my bike off to the right side of the road (from my point of view) and opened the bottle of water I had bought earlier. I gulped down half the bottle in a single swish, feeling refreshed already. The water had warmed a bit by now, but it didn't subtract from the effect at all. Wiping the beads of sweat from my forehead, I looked out as cyclists and the occasional car sped past. I then looked over the edge of the road, down at the forested path below.

I could already see dozens of wild Pokemon scurrying about. Geodude mainly, with a family of Kricketot here and there munching on the tall grass. There weren't many Pokemon Trainers that I could make out, so it probably wasn't as active as I imagined back when I was younger. Heck even I had chosen to take the highroad as to speed things up.

"There's no swarm right now, that's why." A voice seemed to explain beside me. I looked to find a tall girl, her dirty blond hair in a ponytail and clad in sweats and a tank top.

"Swarm?"

"Of Pokemon. That's why there's no one down there." She clarified, before looking over the edge herself. "Once in a while Pokemon will move through this area in a swarm, usually as they migrate from one part of the world to the next. That's when you'll find tons of trainers down there."

"I see," I looked back down at the path below. "What kinds of Pokemon show up here?"

"About a month ago there was a swarm of Larvitar. You don't see those in Sinnoh very often. They're native to Johto, you know." She said.

"I know. Mt. Silver only, actually." I nodded, feeling a sense of pride a knowing that tidbit. It was only thanks to hearing from Ruby a few years back when she had traveled the Johto region.

"Yup! But there's tons of other Pokemon in that mountain, lots of really tough ones, so you can't just waltz into the mountain. You have to get special permission from Indigo Plateau!" The girl shared, her right index finger extended upright as though she were giving a lecture.

"That I didn't know." I replied before taking another drink.

"I'm Megan, by the way." She extended her hand.

"Mia. Nice to meet you." I shook her hand.

"North or south?"

"North," I answered. "Going to Eterna City.

"Challenging the gym, right?"

"Yup! And it's where I'm from."

"Ahh, going home already? It always feels weird when that happens when you're traveling. So you know what Gym Leader specializes in?"

"Grass type Pokemon," I answered immediately after.

"So you got a Fire or Flying type to take out Gardenia? Ice works too, if you've been up to Snowpoint City."

I shook my head before answering. An Ice type Pokemon would be a cool addition to my team (no pun intended), but I didn't think I'd be traveling up to Snowpoint City any time soon. For starters I'd have to buy some winter clothes, or at the very least take some from home now that I'd stop by again.

"It might be a bit tough but I think I can win with my team." I shrugged. Gible and Mawile would be my main force, with Mareep to back them up. Assuming Gardenia would allow up to three Pokemon to fight.

"Well, how about getting a Fire type?" Megan pointed out, if a bit obviously.

"Are there any on this road?"

"Matter of fact..." Megan looked back down on the forested path below. I looked down there as well, but I wasn't even sure what I was looking for. A Fire type would be easy enough to spot, but the only Pokemon I could see were either Geodude or Kricketot.

"Hmm... none running around right now..." Megan's voice trailed.

"What were you looking for?"

"They're not as common, but once in a while you'll find a herd of Ponyta running through the forest down there."

"Ponyta? Really?!" I could hardly contain myself. When I was little, one of my first prized possessions had been a Ponyta doll. I still had it back home, though it was so roughed up from being lugged around and hugged to death that I kept it safely hidden in my closet. To think there were Ponyta running wild so close to home and I never even knew about it!

"Yup! And rumor has it there's even a special Ponyta running around down there lately." Megan added.

"What do you mean special?"

"Never seen it for myself, but a friend of mine who likes to ride around here often said it shows up late at night. It has blue flames instead of red ones."

"Wow...! I wonder if I can catch it?" I could practically feel my eyes lighting up at the thought.

"He might've been lying, you know. Who's ever heard of a Ponyta with blue flames? But you might have better luck catching one if you wait until nighttime. They'd be easier to see, definitely."

"I think I will! There's a way to get down there on the other side of Route 206, right?"

Megan nodded. "Just take the stairs from the gate. Good luck!"

Her break ended, Megan hopped on her bike and took off southbound. I had hoped to get her number to contact her again, but shrugging it off I jumped on my bike again and continued north. It seemed I wouldn't be making it back home until tomorrow after all.

* * *

It was close to sunset when I started preparing my campsite. The person running the other end of the Cycling Road (this time a young man, rather cute in his own right) refunded me the worth of a bottle of fresh water, on account of my cuteness (and hence my returning the compliment). From there, it was a short hike down some stairs and out the gate onto the lower half of Route 206. Thanks to the abundance of tall grass, I was able to dodge every trainer I spotted along the way, mostly to keep my Pokemon in top shape to capture that Ponyta. While I had Shellos on my team and could make it an easy capture, Shellos wasn't exactly the fastest critter in the world. And Ponyta were well-known for being fast sprinters. But one thing I couldn't avoid crawling through tall grass were wild Pokemon, mostly Kricketot that wanted to latch onto my bag and clothes like those little green seeds that stick to your socks. And I already had a bunch of those all over my socks and skirt by the time I made it to my campsite.

Mareep took care of the Kricketot, blasting them with small bolts of lightning that probably wouldn't even qualify as a full-on Thundershock attack. And so it was until we climbed up the side of Mt. Coronet a bit to make camp. From there we could see a good portion of the forested path, and in the growing darkness any herd of Ponyta that were wandering through the area. Once my campfire was going (courtesy of Mareep), I released Gible, Shellos and Dustox from their Pokeballs. I'd need the first two to capture Ponyta, and the last to keep an eye on the Pokemon should it try to escape into the tall grass. My four Pokemon gathered around me and the fire, I chose to release Mawile as well, as to not leave her out of the gathering.

"How's everyone doing?" I asked my critters. They all let out their respective growls and grunts and flapping of wings. There didn't look to be any discontentment, so I gave them all a warm smile.

"How're you guys liking our adventure so far? Pretty exciting stuff, huh?"

Gible growled, rubbing up next to me. Mareep did the same, her charged wool sending the slightest electrical shocks through my left arm. Shellos remained a distance away from the fire, no doubt to remain cool and moist. Dustox didn't seem to want to settle down, so he remained afloat in the air above us.

"You keep an eye out for any Ponyta, got it?" I told my aerial Pokemon. I turned my attention to my latest addition. She stood there, small yellow body looking adorable while the massive pair of jaws sprouting from the back of her head looked ready to bite my very head off.

"Mawile, come here." I beckoned the Pokemon. She took a couple steps forward, but didn't seem too eager to obey my command.

"Something wrong?" I asked, but I didn't get an answer. She just stood there before me, the black appendage behind her opening and closing as if it were taking a deep breath.

"Are you feeling okay? Maybe you're hungry?" I reached into my bag and pulled out a packet of Pokechow. The rest of the Pokemon around me went wild at the sight, but I told them all to calm down.

"This is for Mawile, okay? You guys can get some in a minute." I spoke to them sternly. I opened the packet and pulled out one of the brown lumps of food, showing it to Mawile. "Hungry, girl?"

Upon seeing the food, Mawile took another step forward, before doing a complete 180. Now what was facing me was the massive black jaw, which slowly opened wide. Instinctively I pulled back my hand, but the jaw did not lurch forward. It remained open for a moment, before it moved slightly to a side. I could see Mawile's face looking at me. With renewed courage I extended my hand again. The black jaw moved forward, picking the food off the palm of my hand with surprising dexterity. It swallowed it whole, so I prepared another. Again it picked it off, and the one after that as well.

"So that's how you eat? Kinda scary..." I said to myself. I couldn't tell if Mawile was offended by the comment or not, but all the same it took one more bit of Pokechow before turning back to face me with its small yellow body.

"Better?"

The Pokemon nodded, finally responding to my words. I smiled at her, before spreading the rest of the Pokechow amongst the other critters. Once they were all fed, I leaned back and positioned myself to look at the sky above. It was still orange, but already I was starting to make out stars in the sky. Before long the sun would be completely gone, and another day would have passed.

"Time sure flies," I said to myself. "Feels like yesterday I started this journey. I think I've been out here... three weeks? Maybe a little less? Something like that."

A quick check of my Poketch would have confirmed the date but I didn't feel like lifting my arms. It wasn't important, after all.

"I wonder how long it'll last? Think we'll be doing this for years?" I turned to Gible, who was lying down next to me. The purple Pokemon blinked before opening his impressive mouth at me. A faint growl was his reply.

"Ruby's done it for that long. Iris, too. Maybe I will, as well? Or maybe I'll quit before they do? When do you decide to quit? How can you? What would life be like without Pokemon, right?" I turned to Mareep, whose legs were hidden under her wool as she rested beside me.

"Even if I catch more Pokemon, and can't take you all with me at the same time, I wouldn't ever just abandon you. But some people do? They leave their Pokemon in PC Storage and just go on with their lives. That's just cruel..."

Flying around above was Dustox. I doubted he was within earshot, and even if he was he probably didn't understand what I was saying. Probably none of my Pokemon did. Even Dustox, a Pokemon I didn't really like in general; I'd never just lock him up in the PC Storage for the rest of my life. There would come a time when any of my Pokemon would be forced to spend time in the PC; after all, I didn't plan to stop catching Pokemon after I caught a Ponyta. But I would have to ask them to spend time in the PC. And the day I quit being a trainer, that I was all grown up...?

"Never," I said aloud. "The day I stop being a Pokemon Trainer- if that day ever happens- I'll be sure to let you guys all go back to the wild. To be free. It's only fair, right?"

There were more responses this time. That was something all of them could understand. They were all from the wild, after all. Maybe they missed being that way? Or maybe they enjoyed being my Pokemon? Could I ever know for real? Did anyone? Has anyone ever questioned this?

"I guess if they did, we wouldn't capture Pokemon at all, would we?" I sighed. "And the more I think about it, the harder it gets."

I looked back at Gible. Then to Mareep, and lastly to Dustox in the sky.

"I couldn't just let you all go. You're my friends... my family, now. Just as much as Ruby and Iris and Seth and Lucas! So you'll just have to be happy with me, got it?"

More unified growls from my Pokemon. They all seemed to be in agreement, which calmed me down a bit. Did every trainer think about these things when they were alone? Or at all? Maybe I was just weird.

I sat back up, reaching behind me to wipe any grass or dirt that stuck to my clothes. I made a mental note to throw everything in the wash when I got back home, seeing as how I'd have the chance. Even being out here I couldn't stand being all dirty all the time. As I looked out onto the forested path, I saw a faint light in the distance. At first I thought it to be another campsite, but it was slowly moving. A person wandering through the tall grass?

"No... it's a Pokemon." I whispered. The light was moving, still hidden behind the grass but definitely moving. And it was gaining speed. "Ponyta!"

I jumped to my feet, and my Pokemon all followed suit. If they were Ponyta, they were going to be right in front of us within seconds. Shellos crawled up beside me, as if she knew what I was going to command.

"Shellos, when I give the order, I want you to shoot water as far as you can straight ahead, got it?"

The Pokemon nodded, moving further ahead to maximize her range. The rest of my Pokemon looked to me for their part in this glorious capture.

"Dustox, I want you to chase after them. Don't lose them, okay?"

I looked at the rest of my critters. "Everyone else, just follow me and we'll catch that Ponyta. Got it?"

A cheer erupted from them all. It was just another Pokemon battle, another chance at capturing a wild Pokemon, but for the first time it felt like there was a true sense of unity amongst us all. Or maybe it wasn't something as silly as that; maybe it just felt like a good day? Like today, I could achieve anything I wanted.

Before long, the lights running through the path blazed in front of us. I gave the order, and Shellos immediately blasted the grass ahead with a torrent of water. It wouldn't be enough to harm the Ponyta, but enough to rattle them. And rattle them it did: when they were finally visible, my eyes lit up as the herd of what looked like dozens of the horses began to scatter every which way. As much as I loved the Pokemon, I had never seen any in person, only on TV. So entranced was I by the sight I nearly forgot why I had come all this way in the first place.

Megan had mentioned a Ponyta with blue flames, but of all the Pokemon that were running around in front of me all I saw were red flames. Just when I was thinking it was a lie after all, there it was! Wishing to be hidden amongst his cousins, a Ponyta with a mane made of flames blue as the sky. This was the Pokemon I needed, and I would capture it no matter what.

"Dustox, don't lose that blue one!" I yelled into the air. Though my Pokemon heard me, so did the herd of Ponyta. My voice added to the sudden burst of water, they seemed to panic even more and began to run back in the direction they came. With the sun almost gone, chasing after them in the forested path would be virtually impossible. If the blue Ponyta got away, I'd never get another chance to catch it.

"Everyone, after that Ponyta!"

A new Pokeball in my hand, I charged into the tall grass alongside my Pokemon. Shellos remained by the camp, and with me running as fast as I could, Mareep was probably also left behind. Gible and Mawile managed to keep up, with Dustox flying ahead to keep an eye on the Ponyta. Running past several other normal Ponyta, I knew the Pokemon would escape at this rate. I couldn't hope to outrun a Pokemon like that.

"Dustox, stop him!" I yelled out.

I lost sight of Dustox when he descended into the grass. Ahead, I heard a whinny, and seconds later I was face to face with the blue-flamed Ponyta. Dustox had caused it to stop, but being a Bug type he was at a huge disadvantage. The Ponyta kicked up its legs, flinging small embers that started blue before turning red in midair and striking Dustox. Hurt, my Pokemon backed away.

"Gible, Mawile, attack!"

Despite the vague order, both of my Pokemon charged the Ponyta. The wild Pokemon kicked back, striking Gible and sending him flying back towards me. Mawile managed to dodge the attack, spun around to expose her jaws, and bit hard into the Ponyta. The wild Pokemon let out a painful cry, causing the flames on its back to flare up. Mawile let go, reeling back in pain. Gible charged in next, landing a bite of his own on one of Ponyta's hind legs. Ponyta tried to kick Gible off, but the small dragon with the large mouth refused to let go.

"This is it," I whispered, squeezing the Pokeball in my hand. Once Gible had finally been forced off Ponyta's leg, I threw the Pokeball as hard as I could. It struck the Pokemon right on the back, trapping it in the device. It shook a few times on the ground, but the Ponyta was unable to escape in the end.

* * *

"You feeling better?" I asked Mawile, offering her another bit of Pokechow. She didn't accept the food, but aside from a few rough patches she looked to be fine. In my craze to capture the Ponyta I had forgotten she was a Steel type, and therefore weak to fire. Same for Dustox, who had unfortunately gotten burned much worse. He was resting in his Pokeball, but he'd need to get healed up at a center ASAP.

"Everyone did great," I said to the other four. "Thanks to everyone, we've got a new teammate!"

My Pokemon seemed happy enough. But they also looked tired, and for that I couldn't blame them. Even I was dead tired, having ridden a bike uphill for a good part of the day and then crawling through overgrowth fighting off bug Pokemon. What I really wanted at this point was to sleep in my bed, but getting back home tonight was out of the question. If I were to try it, I'd probably get home by morning. Assuming I could find my way back to the gate in the dark.

Because of the Cycling Road overhead, almost no starlight illuminated the forested path on Route 206, except for the edges like where I had set up camp. It looked like the moon was new, or almost new at least, so there wasn't any moonlight to use, either. I'd be camping here like I'd planned.

"Well, I could just stay home tomorrow. After the battle with Gardenia. I'm sure Mom would love to meet everyone."

Gible let out a growl. He'd been the only one to meet Mom so far, and it looked like he had taken a liking to her. I had a feeling Mom would love Mareep and Ponyta, but I couldn't be certain of the rest. And I was absolutely sure I should keep poor Dustox in his Pokeball the entire visit. That said, by now Mareep and Shellos had fallen asleep around the campfire. Mawile was in position to sleep herself, so I slipped into my sleeping bag. Gible took a spot right next to me, his cute little eyes staring right at me.

"You'll be sure to wake me if anything happens, okay?"

Gible grunted in the affirmative. This was the first time I'd sleep with my Pokemon around me like this, and in the past I hadn't needed a guard while I slept in the wilderness. But this night, I just knew I'd sleep better than ever with Gible at my side. I looked up at the stars in the sky until my eyelids could no longer remain open.


	11. Eterna City

Eterna City, Chapter XI

* * *

Whenever you go on vacation, there's always a mixture of happiness and sadness when you get back home. On the one hand, you're sad because the vacation is over; who knows when you'll see whatever place you just came from again, and it'll be back to the same old, same old. On the other, you're home. That's enough on its own, I guess.

I felt my heart race as I set foot back in Eterna City. Weeks since I last saw those familiar roads and buildings, I hadn't realized until now just how homesick I had been. Not enough that I didn't want to keep traveling, but just enough to make me teary-eyed at being back. Despite the Pokemon Center being in a different direction and probably what should have been my first stop, I found myself running back home. Ignoring the looks of people probably just going about their usual business, I ran as hard and fast as I could back to the apartment complex, feeling a sense of relief when I saw that it had not changed since I'd left. Not that I had thought it would after just a few weeks, but still.

After dashing up the stairs (finding the elevator to be too long a wait), I knocked on my own door. Before long the door opened, and there was Mom.

"Mia! Oh my god!" Mom threw her arms around me on the spot. Normally, getting hugged like this, especially in public, would drive me near death from embarrassment. But after pushing Mom back into our home and closing the door behind me, I let her hug me all she wanted.

"I didn't think you'd be home so soon! How are you?"

"Good. I'm just in town for my second badge. Did Ruby leave already?"

"A few days after you did, sweetie. I hope you weren't expecting to find her here." Mom finally let me get out of the doorway. "Are you hungry? Want me to make you something?"

"I am a little hungry. Pancakes would be nice!" I smiled. Without a hitch Mom got to preparing the batter for the sweet breakfast food. I took a seat in the living room (which of course was the same space as the dining room and even kitchen), resisting the urge to go to my room. I just knew if I threw myself on my bed, I'd probably never want to leave. Figuratively speaking.

"So how has your adventure been? Have you caught a lot of Pokemon?" Mom asked from the kitchen.

"Not a lot, but I have a full team now! Want to see them?"

"Of course! They won't break the floor or anything, right?"

What Mom was referring to was this one time Ruby had brought home a Pokemon that wasn't exactly meant to be indoors. It was a Rhydon, a large and pretty heavy Rock type. The apartment's floors weren't the sturdiest around, something we'd all learn that same day. So when Ruby released the Pokemon from its Pokeball, it landed with such a crash that it broke a hole in the floor. Thankfully the Rhydon managed to hold onto the edge of our floor, or else he would have fallen through to the floor beneath ours, and probably kept falling until he reached the ground floor. Mom and Dad had to pay a lot to fix the floor, as well as the neighbor's property that was damaged. Ruby offered whatever money she had on her at the time, but of course it wouldn't cover much of the damage. That was the last time I saw Ruby's Rhydon, but I think she still has the Pokemon in her PC Storage.

I introduced Mom to my Pokemon, starting with Mareep and ending with Ponyta. I kept Dustox out of it, and it seemed like Mom didn't notice in the end. By then Mom had finished making the first couple pancakes, so I got to eating. They tasted heavenly, especially after weeks of eating sandwiches and junk food on the road. I considered asking Mom for extra money to buy better food, but kept quiet in the end. Pretty sure none of my siblings had asked for such favors, and I certainly didn't want to be the first. Or for the request to become public knowledge.

"Mom, have you heard from Iris?" I asked after finishing my third pancake. I had a stomach for the things, so I could eat like crazy and never get full.

"Your sister's coming home one of these days. She says the Indigo Plateau isn't going to hold their tournament this season."

"Because of the missing Champion, right?" I piped up, about to tackle my fourth pancake.

"It's been all over the news. Cynthia's been interviewed a couple times, but she refuses to talk about the situation. There's also been a lot of reports about crimes in Kanto, so I'm glad she's coming home."

I had to stop myself from sharing what had happened at Verity Lake. If Mom knew about Team Galactic, she'd probably want me to stop my journey. Not that I'd let her, but it would make things tense around her.

"There was another report about a group calling themselves 'Team Galactic' in this region," Mom added, as if she'd read my mind. "You haven't run into them, have you?"

"N-No..." I stammered, and I stuffed another piece of pancake in my mouth as quickly as I could. I shot her a glance, only to catch her looking right at me.

"I hope you're not lying to me, Mia." Mom said, her voice stern. That pretty much meant she knew I was lying, and was giving me the chance to come clean. I stuffed another piece of pancake in my mouth to give myself a few more seconds to think about my response.

"Well, I'm sure you know better than to get involved with things like that." Mom said, as if dropping the entire subject. Honestly I never knew if she was truly testing me or just yanking my chain. Either way, that little bit of nervousness killed whatever appetite I had left, so I quickly retreated to the safety of my room. I'm pretty sure that same swift retreat was all the answer Mom wanted, anyway.

In the end, she didn't ask about Team Galactic again, and after gathering a few things in my room (including a swimsuit for future use) I said my good-byes and left. After a quick stop by the Pokemon Center, I headed straight for the gym. I'd be staying at home tonight, so I didn't have to worry about another long good-bye like the first time I left. That would be saved for tomorrow morning.

The Eterna City Gym stood before me. Many times I had stood in this exact spot, wondering what it would be like to set foot in here and challenge Gardenia myself. I'd met her before, at least indirectly as a part of my class, but never once spoken to her face-to-face. Compared to my resolve when I faced both Byron and Roark, I felt a certain uneasiness in my stomach now. Chalking it up to nerves because this was my hometown gym, I took a deep breath and opened the doors to the gym.

Inside, most of the building was covered in trees and shrubs, like a giant greenhouse. In fact, the ceiling of the gym was made of glass, letting in the morning sunlight that would soon turn to noon. I could hear many different voices coming from within the miniature forest, so I let myself in to find Gardenia. As I wandered through the greenery, I spotted more Pokemon and a couple unfamiliar faces, but no sign of Gardenia anywhere.

"Are you lost?" One of those persons asked me. It was a lass in a red skirt and sky blue blouse, her chestnut hair tied up in a ponytail with a scrunchie matching her skirt.

"I'm looking for the Gym Leader. Is she here?"

"Sorry, Gardenia's not here right now." She said.

I sighed, realizing I'd gotten all worked up for nothing. "Any idea when she'll be back?"

"Nope. She said she had some business to take care of in Eterna Forest. But it's already been a whole day..."

"In the forest?"

"Mhm. She left last night, something about ghost rumors at some old mansion in the forest? She told us to look after the gym and let any challengers know that the gym was closed."

The mansion in the forest; the one where I'd stayed my first night as a Trainer. The same mansion where I'd seen a ghost of a real person. Not that I was really scared of ghosts, especially not of the one that happened to be haunting that mansion, but I wasn't exactly thrilled at going back there.

"And you're sure you don't know when she'll be back?" I asked again.

"I thought she'd be back by this morning. She doesn't like that old place, so it's a wonder why she's still there." The lass shrugged.

"Okay, thanks." I said before going back out the way I came. Once I was outside, I looked in the general direction of the Eterna Forest. I didn't want to leave before getting my badge, since I probably wouldn't be out this way for a while after crossing Mt. Coronet to Eastern Sinnoh. Which left me with only two options: stay at home and wait for Gardenia to come back, or go into the forest and find her myself.

And truth be told, I didn't want to hang around home and be interrogated by Mom all day.

* * *

Nostalgia is a weird experience. It hadn't been very long since I walked through these same paths in the forest, and yet it all felt very nostalgic, like memories of ages long past. Never mind it was weeks ago and ages past meant a time when I was in diapers, or not even born for that matter. Still, I retraced my steps from my first visit as a Trainer and found my way back to the old mansion in the heart of the forest. It was a wonder I was able to pull it off, considering I stumbled across it the first time while I was running from a swarm of angry Beedrill and Dustox.

Just outside the mansion's grounds, I found the remains of a campfire. It was fresh, so I figured it had to be Gardenia's work and she was currently inside the mansion. Further adding weight to this claim was the fact that the mansion door was open and slightly ajar. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out Gible's Pokeball and set foot inside. This time I wouldn't be ambushed by Ghost Pokemon.

Fortunately for me, I didn't even have to begin looking for Gardenia, as she was standing right in the center of the foyer. Upon hearing the creaking of the front door, she spun around to meet my gaze. Her brown hair, cut way too short for my taste, seemed to be standing on ends. In her hand was a Pokeball, which she held at the ready as if to throw it directly at my face.

"Who are you?!" She yelped.

"My name's Mia. I'm a Pokemon Trainer." I answered, raising my hands in defense. Gardenia lowered her arm, though she still looked more than a bit spooked.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, actually. I went by the gym in town and they told me you were out here." I explained, hoping she'd calm down a little.

"Who told you that?"

"Some girl. Brown hair, red skirt?" I honestly never got her name, nor did I care to get it, either. Even back when I was in school I remembered that girl (or one that looked just like her) hanging around Gardenia all the time.

"Caroline..." Gardenia muttered, finally looking more at ease. She took a few steps toward me, though I think she was trying to get closer to the exit.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Gardenia in turn. "That girl mentioned something about a ghost?"

Just the mere mention of the word seemed to heighten Gardenia's anxiety again. "N-No such thing as ghosts! I mean, that's just crazy!"

I noticed her hands shaking, and the trembling of her voice was more than enough to give away her true feelings. Still, I couldn't help myself. "Well, last time I was here I did see the ghost of a girl."

"Quit it! There's no such things as g-ghosts!" Gardenia practically yelled at me. Her voice echoed throughout the mansion as a result, and the girl took a few more steps towards the exit.

"So what if there are ghosts here? Or aren't? What's the difference?" I asked.

"T-There is none. None at all!" Gardenia managed, having finally arrived at the exit.

"So why are you here?" I asked yet again, growing tired of this exchange.

"I'll see you back at the gym! Bye!"

And just like that, Gardenia stormed out of the mansion's front door. With her gone, I saw no reason to stick around myself, so I turned to follow her. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a creaking from the second floor, causing me to stop. I turned to look up the staircase nearby, and at the top of the stairs I saw a faint figure. I couldn't make out a face, but I instantly recognized the white dress.

"Etria? Is that you?" I called out to the figure. Rather than answer, it turned around and vanished into the darkness of the second floor. A bit rattled, I considered following after Gardenia, but finally found myself climbing the stairs up after the ghost girl. Recalling my first visit to the mansion, I turned right and made a left at the end of the hall, finding myself in the same room as before. Standing in the middle of it was the ghost girl Etria, her white dress and brown hair identical to the first time I met her.

"Why didn't you answer me?" I asked.

"I remember you. Your name is Mia." She replied calmly and with a warm smile.

"Yeah." I nodded, almost forgetting she was in fact a ghost.

"It's very hard to clean," Etria said, the phrase sounding eerily familiar. "I'm very sorry about the mess."

"How did you die?" I asked, slightly amazed at myself for managing that. Etria's eyes seemed to gain a bit of light as she looked intently at me for the first time.

"Die?"

"Yeah. You do realize you're a ghost, right?"

Her gaze faltered a bit, as if she was looking for the answer. "I don't remember."

"Huh. Figured that would be an important memory." I sighed.

"Yes. It should be, shouldn't it?" She muttered.

"Well, this got creepier than I expected. I gotta go, okay?" I turned to leave, when I felt something cold grab onto my wrist. I never would have guessed it to be a hand, but when I looked down, that's what I saw. Almost as cold as ice, Etria's hand was latched onto my wrist. I followed her arm up to meet her gaze.

"A world of dreams," she said, looking right into my eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"At the heart of the world. It seeks to devour the world itself."

"What are you talking about? What is?" I asked again, but rather than a straight answer, Etria just released me.

"I'm sorry. I have to go now." And just like that, I saw Etria's form fade into nothing within two seconds. A chill wind seemed to blow right past me, and that's when I finally decided it was time to leave this creepy mansion.

* * *

It was getting late by the time I got back to town, but not so late I couldn't still challenge Gardenia. I made a beeline for the gym, all the while thinking about what Etria had said just before her disappearance.

"A world of dreams, at the heart of the world, it seeks to devour it?" I said aloud, ignoring the dozens of people walking past me and next to me.

"Could it be some kind of Pokemon she was talking about? But what about the 'world of dreams'? What kind of place is that? At 'the heart of the world'?" I stopped in the middle of the street, not more than a block from the gym. At first, my mind jumped to Mt. Coronet, which could be considered the "heart" of Sinnoh. But Etria hadn't said Sinnoh, but "the world". It was times like this I wish I had access to a map. The sun was quickly escaping the sky, so I wouldn't have time to both visit the library and challenge Gardenia.

"First things first: my badge. I can research geography tomorrow before I leave." I said to myself with a nod. I resumed my previous pace towards the gym, making a mental note of everything and sticking it to the back of my mind. I didn't think Gardenia would provide much of a challenge, but all the same I wanted to do my very best when I challenged her.

A shade of orange dominated the tiny forest inside the Eterna City Gym. Standing in the clearing in the center was Gardenia, a Turtwig at her side as she was busy planting a new sapling. Around her were a few of the girls I saw earlier that day, including the lass that had sent me on my way. I didn't even have to announce my presence for all of them to look up.

"Sorry, we're closed for the day." Said the girl with the red skirt. It seems she recognized me though, and added, "But thanks for bringing back Gardenia so fast!"

"You mean I have to wait until tomorrow?"

"No," interjected Gardenia, rising to her feet. "What happened after I left?"

"Huh?"

"At the mansion. When I left I thought you'd be right behind me, but you weren't. Did you find something?"

She was referring to my conversation with Etria. I shook my head. "Nope. Thought I heard something, but it was just the wind."

Whether or not she believed me, Gardenia shrugged her shoulders and stepped forward. The Turtwig at her side followed. "I usually don't accept challenges this late."

"But you're going to make an exception for me, right?" I smiled.

"Just because it's you." She smiled back, a hint of fiendishness behind it. Maybe she did it so I could keep my mouth shut about her unsightly behavior back at the mansion. I had the feeling Gardenia wasn't the kind to panic in that manner, much less in front of others. And especially not in front of her Junior Trainers at the gym.

The field would be the small forest, as it took up the entirety of the gym. Gardenia sat down next to the sapling she'd just planted, her Turtwig ready beside her. I backed up a bit from where I had been standing, giving our Pokemon plenty of space to fight. I figured she wanted to protect the sapling during the fight.

"Three-on-three singles," Gardenia called out. "Defeat all of my Pokemon, and you get yourself a badge."

"Got it!" I reached into my bag, fishing out Ponyta's Pokeball.

"Oh! And one more rule!" Gardenia said. "If anything happens to this sapling, you lose."

"That's... a weird rule..." I said, hopefully not loud enough for Gardenia to hear.

"Turtwig, you're up!" She said. Her small Grass type turtle took his place on the field. I was familiar with this critter since my brother Lucas started with one several months back. Even Mom took a shine to the Pokemon when he showed it off to her.

"Ponyta, go!" I threw my Pokeball onto the field, releasing my fiery steed. In the dimming sunlight, Ponyta's blue flames shone brightly, causing all the girls near Gardenia to gasp.

"A rare Ponyta! Amazing!" One of them called out.

"I've never seen one like it!" Said another.

"Me neither," added Gardenia. "How lucky of you to catch a shiny Pokemon."

"Shiny? What do you mean?"

"Your Ponyta is a shiny Pokemon. It's a very rare breed, one in thousands. Some Trainers go their whole lives without seeing one in the wild." Gardenia explained.

Feeling even better about my catch than ever before, I pulled out my Pokedex to prepare for battle. Ponyta stood at the ready, and one of the girls near Gardenia sounded a tiny triangle to announce the start of the match.

"Turtwig, let's not even give her a chance. Use Grass Knot!"

Gardenia's Pokemon stomped the ground, and at Ponyta's hooves I saw vines creep up and ensnare her. She tried to fight them, but they were keeping her nailed to the spot.

"Now, use Razor Leaf!"

Wasting no time, Turtwig shook its entire body, causing dozens of leaves to shoot out and fly towards Ponyta. The entire time however, I was calm.

"Ponyta, Flame Wheel!"

With a powerful whinny, Ponyta's blue mane engulfed her entire body. Burning the vines at her hooves, Ponyta took off towards Turtwig at an amazing clip. The Razor Leaf attack struck, but because Ponyta's body was covered in blue flames, they failed to connect at all. Unable to dodge, Turtwig was hit dead-on by Ponyta, and sent flying backwards into the air.

"Turtwig!" Gardenia called out, watching as her Pokemon ended up somewhere on the other side of the gym. Ponyta's flames subsided, and the horse came back to my side of the field at a slow trot.

"I think that's one down," I said, giving Gardenia a thumbs-up.

"Yeah..." She grumbled, before producing another Pokeball and releasing her next Pokemon. I quickly scanned the small purple critter.

"Cherrim, the Blossom Pokemon. It blooms during times of strong sunlight. It tries to make up for everything it endured as a bud."

"Wait, what?!" Gardenia yelled almost immediately after the Pokemon materialized. She looked up at the ceiling, then back down to her Pokemon before slapping her forehead.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" She said, though that was clearly a lie. Looking back down at my Pokedex, I realized right away why she was complaining. Because of the time of day, her Cherrim would be at a disadvantage without direct sunlight.

"Cherrim, use Magical Leaf!"

"Ponyta, Flame Wheel!"

Once again Ponyta's body became engulfed in flames, and again she charged at speeds that Gardenia's Cherrim could not avoid. It was almost unfair, really. In another single hit her Pokemon was sent flying, ending up somewhere on the other end of the gym. After this defeat, Gardenia stood up, another Pokeball in her hand.

"Calling it quits?" I asked mockingly.

"You know, I should?" Gardenia admitted, but she still threw the Pokeball onto the field. Out emerged a small green Pokemon with what looked like a white rose on its head and other roses on its arms. Instantly I scanned it with my Pokedex.

"Roserade, the Bouquet Pokemon. With movements of a dancer, it strikes with whips that are densely lined with poison thorns."

"Ponyta, Flame Wheel!"

For the third time in a row, Ponyta's body became a beacon of blue flames and charged at Gardenia's Pokemon. Thinking it would be another easy win, I prepared Ponyta's Pokeball to call her back, only to be stunned when Ponyta circled back towards me. Roserade had dodged the attack!

"Roserade, Stun Spore!"

With fluid movements like a dancer indeed, Roserade blasted Ponyta with a golden powder when her back was turned. It landed just after the flames had subsided, paralyzing her perfectly. Her movements slowed, Gardenia pushed the attack.

"Now, use Poison Sting!"

Emerging from the two collections of roses on her arms, long purple vines lashed out at Ponyta's back, striking him several times and causing him to whinny in pain. He dropped on a knee, and I knew he had also been poisoned, too.

"Finish it with Magical Leaf!" Gardenia called out.

"Ponyta, Ember!"

It was a risky order, but this would be the only chance Ponyta had of finishing this battle single-handedly. As Roserade began to dance in place again, causing all manner of pretty pink petals to float into the air, Ponyta lashed out with everything he had. Dozens of tiny flames danced about the field, joining the petals from Roserade. Some were burned in midair, but most struck Ponyta. However, because Roserade had been so close to my Pokemon, the majority of the embers had hit her, as well. And as tough as Gardenia's Pokemon was, even she couldn't deny the power of fire against Grass types.

When the flurry of attacks had subsided, Ponyta could barely stand. But Roserade was severely burned, and unable to stand at all. It took a few moments, but the verdict came in after another ringing of the triangle:

"The victor is Mia the challenger!" Called out the girl in the red skirt.

* * *

"Looks like you earned this one: I present you the Forest Badge!" Gardenia announced, handing me the small pin. I looked at it for a moment, admiring the design before looking at her again.

"Thank you! It was a great battle!"

"Hardly," Gardenia sighed, looking real defeated. "Shame the League doesn't let us use more than one type..."

"Why is that? I've always wondered..." I asked as I put the badge on its rightful slot beside the Coal Badge.

"League rules." Gardenia shrugged, as if that were an answer. "They say use one type, we do it. As long as they pay, right?"

"I see." Though I actually didn't. But I guess it would make it much easier for Trainers to develop strategies, and to practice in general if they knew what to expect. Actually, it was almost sad I came up with that explanation on the spot, instead of Gardenia giving it to me.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do great in the tournament! I'll be rooting for you, kid!" She gave me a light jab on the shoulder. "Show 'em what Eterna City residents are made of!"

"Huh? How'd you know?" I asked, shocked.

"The uniform! I wore one when I was your age!" She laughed.

"Oh, right! I forget I'm even wearing this thing." I pulled at the shirt of my outfit.

"You look real cute in it! Makes a great outfit for exploring the region."

"Thanks!" I replied with a smile and perhaps even a slight blush.


	12. Lore

Lore, Chapter XII

* * *

The warmth of my bed was difficult to escape, but I ended up doing so before long. I wanted to be on my way, since Mt. Coronet stood between me and the next stop on my journey. Mom was torn on my second departure, but she said good-bye in the way she knew best: with food! When I went downstairs that morning, a stack of pancakes awaited me.

"It's really lonely without you," she said at the table as I worked on my second helping of the sweet food.

"Yeah? It's kinda lonely without you when I'm out there." I admitted. Many were the times when I wished I had someone to talk to between visits to cities or towns.

"For the longest time I always had one of you with me here. I knew after Lucas left that my time was short." She sighed, looking sadder than ever before.

"It's okay, Mom. You make it sound like you're about to die or something!" I laughed, hoping it would lighten the mood.

"If I told you I was dying...?" Mom said in a hushed tone.

"Mom, that's not funny..."

She maintained her composure and expression for a few moments, before a smile broke it up. "Had you going there, didn't I?"

"No!" I yelled, feeling more moisture in my eyes than I wanted to admit.

"It's all part of the adventure. I went on one as well, you know."

"I know. But you never talk about it," I said, finishing up my third pancake.

"Things were a lot different when I was your age. For one, Pokeballs weren't such useful little devices!" She stood up and moved to the kitchen. Reaching up over the refrigerator, she fished out a small box that looked older than even Ruby! It was super dusty, too, so Mom made sure to open it carefully as to not spread the dust all around the table.

"What is it?"

"This..." She said, reaching into the box and pulling out a spherical object equally covered in dust, "is a Pokeball."

Dropping my fork, I took it from her hands. "Wow! It's so big!"

Compared to the modern Pokeball, which was capable of shrinking to less than half its size for better storage, the one Mom handed me was permanently set to its full size. Not only that, it was larger than Pokeballs of today, but seemed to have all the same features. Even the red and white coloring was the same, though faded quite a bit. It even felt heavier than one of mine with a Pokemon in it!

"Is there a Pokemon here?" I asked.

Mom took the Pokeball back from me and pressed the button on the front of the device. It popped open, but there was nothing inside. "I released all my Pokemon a long time ago. Before Ruby was born."

"What kinds of Pokemon did you have?" I asked, eager to hear all about this secret part of Mom's life.

"Not as many as you'd think. I wasn't a great Trainer." She chuckled, before putting it back in the box and sealing it. "Your father, on the other hand..."

"Does he have any Pokemon left?" This was a question all of my siblings, myself included, had asked him directly. He would always dodge the question, or answer in some mysterious way that didn't really tell us much.

"I think he does, but he keeps that a secret even from me." Mom smiled, putting the box back on top of the fridge.

"I thought married couples didn't keep secrets from each other?"

"You're right." She said, sitting back down.

"So does he?"

"That's between me and him." Mom stuck her tongue out at me. Sometimes, I wondered how cool she must've been when she was a kid like me. I kinda wished it were possible to have met her at that time.

Dad worked in Veilstone City on the other side of the region, but he visited every other week or so. Mom was originally against the idea when he was given the transfer from the offices here in Eterna City, but the money was much better over there. I had hoped to see him during this visit, but Mom said he'd visited just last week. Since Veilstone also had a gym, I'd probably get a chance to see him at work when I passed through there. I'd definitely ask him to show me his Pokemon!

After finishing up with breakfast, I gave Mom a hug and left. I didn't want to drag it out, and apparently neither did she. Plus, it wasn't like she'd be alone again for a long time. As it turned out, Iris would be arriving soon from her latest adventure. I almost wanted to stick around until then, but if Lucas caught up to me there and saw me slacking off, I'd never hear the end of it. Plus, I wanted to get even better at battling so I could challenge him again some day and beat him fair and square!

* * *

So after departing from Eterna City's eastern gate, I found myself on Route 211. This road was a short one, leading directly out of Eterna City and connecting to a large wooden bridge that crossed over a deep canyon with a river at the bottom. A tumble down there would likely end anyone's life, but fortunately the bridge was wide and sturdy, despite being old. I believe one of my old teachers claimed it was old when she was kid!

Past that bridge was a small ledge on the side of Mt. Coronet, with a cave entrance and nothing else noteworthy. My journey was bound to take me through these caves eventually, so I was happy to get it out of the way now. Within the hour I was across the bridge and inside the mountain proper.

There wasn't much to the tunnel connecting both ends of Route 211; being one of the more traveled paths it was a straightforward trek through one of Mt. Coronet's more narrow sections. The entire trip would take less than an hour even on foot, so long as no trainers or wild Pokemon got in your way. The path was even partially illuminated by lanterns, regularly maintained thanks to the Pokemon League. Of course, I wouldn't have any such luck. In fact, my luck demanded I run into someone I never thought I'd see again. Someone whose name I didn't even know.

Standing off to a side of the cave, messing with her Poketch and clad in some kind of pale jumpsuit, the woman almost didn't realize I was walking by. But just as I passed by her, she looked up from her Poketch and our eyes locked onto each other. I honestly didn't recognize her, though I would attribute that to her being out of her uniform. However, she recognized me on the spot.

"It's YOU!" She screamed, pointing a finger right at me.

"Huh?" I said, stopping.

"The brat from the lake! You're going to pay!" She took a step towards me, coming into the light and with a Pokeball in her hand. It took me a moment, but my mind finally connected the dots: it was the Team Galactic grunt I battled just outside Verity Lake!

"Listen, I don't want any trouble," I said, hoping to worm my way out of a battle. Not that I was afraid to fight her, but because the last time I did, she resorted to ordering her Pokemon to attack me directly.

"Too late! I got chewed out for failing to stop you at the lake! Now you're going to see what happens when you mess with my promotion chances! Go, Beautifly!"

She slammed the Pokeball on the ground before her, releasing the familiar Bug Pokemon. The cave was narrow, so a battle here wouldn't be easy to manage. Ignoring the advantage Ponyta would have, I went with Dustox to keep things even.

"Your Wurmple evolved!" The grunt pointed out.

"So did your Silcoon." I shot back.

"So let's do this! Beautifly, Stun Spore!"

"Dustox, counter with Poison Powder!"

Both flying Pokemon darted towards each other, each one's wings filling the air with a different colored dust. The combination of yellow sparkles and purple wisps remained airborne even after our Pokemon returned to our sides. Dustox had been successfully paralyzed, but her Beautifly had been poisoned as well.

"Beautifly, Air Cutter!"

"Hit him with Gust!"

Because of Dustox's paralysis, Beautifly got her attack in first, hurling a sharp blade of compressed air directly at my Pokemon. Dustox was forced to the ground, the attack being super-effective on his slowed body.

"Finish him off with another Air Cutter!"

"Dustox, Confusion!"

Beautifly moved into position for her attack, but Dustox managed to move first this time. Locking eyes with his opponent, a wave of psychic energy cut through the air, disorienting Beautifly to the point it was having trouble remaining airborne. The Pokemon tried to focus on Dustox, but instead crashed into the cavern wall nearby.

"You stupid Pokemon! He's down there!" The grunt angrily berated her Pokemon.

"Dustox, now's your chance! Use Venoshock!"

Dustox flapped his wings hard, bringing himself back into the air. Once on the same level as Beautifly, my Pokemon blasted his opponent with a thick, purple goo. The substance seemed to burn Beautifly deeply, causing it to crash onto the ground. Within seconds she was completely knocked out. The grunt immediately put the Pokemon away.

"Why don't you just run off? There's no need to keep fighting." I told her, but the grunt was already in the process of pulling out a second Pokeball.

"I'd rather let my Pokemon DIE before I run away from you!" She sneered, releasing her Golbat next. It was this Pokemon that she loosed on me the last time we fought. Dustox was looking pretty worn down, so I recalled him and prepared Mareep for battle. Once my Pokemon was out, the battle continued.

"Golbat, use Bite!"

"Mareep, hit him with Thundershock!"

The large bat Pokemon dove in on Mareep, but before it could get close enough my sheep had already charged her electric attack. The bolt shot forth from her two horns, striking Golbat directly and forcing it back.

"I said use Bite!" The grunt screamed louder, her voice echoing in the tunnel.

Again Golbat closed the distance, and again Mareep managed to repel the Pokemon with another Thundershock. This time, Golbat was looking pretty singed from the repeated shocks, almost unable to remain airborne. Again the grunt demanded an attack (this time Leech Life), but for a third time Mareep pushed the Golbat back with Thundershock. This time, the bat dropped from the air, completely spent. I steeled myself for her next Pokemon, but after she called back Golbat, she took a few steps back.

"You'll pay for this. Mark my words, brat!"

"I don't think you'll ever beat me. Why do you even bother?" I taunted, which even I felt was a bit out of character for me. The last thing I wanted was this crazy woman to start stalking me throughout the region in her search for revenge.

"Gloat all you want. Next time, you'll see. I'll leave you begging for mercy!" With that, she turned tail and darted off down the tunnel back in the direction of Eterna City. She ran surprisingly fast, and was out of sight within seconds.

"What a crazy... Hope I never run into her again." I said to myself. Mareep let out a soft _baahh_ , as if telling me that was unlikely. Even if I did my best never to stick my nose into Team Galactic's business in the future, this one would probably track me down on her own. Plus, I totally planned to do my part to stop Team Galactic's plans, whatever they might be.

With that crazy battle out of the way, I put Mareep back in her Pokeball before continuing on through the tunnel. Before long, I'd emerge on the other side of Mt. Coronet, and on the eastern half of Route 211.

* * *

 _From Rachael:_

 _How are you, Mia? It's been weeks since we first met and I never sent you a message. I can tell you're now in Eastern Sinnoh, since I can feel your presence. I hope we see each other again soon._

* * *

A short while after emerging from the tunnel, I received that message from Rachael, the first person I ever shared my Poketch number with. Although I was doubtful of her psychic powers when we first met, the fact that the message arrived when it did gave me pause. There was no way she could have guessed I'd be on the other side of Mt. Coronet, not unless she was somehow watching me.

From my spot under a large honey tree, I quickly surveyed the nearby area. There was a lot of tall grass on this road, and more than a few Pokemon bothered me before I found this spot. Even sitting under this tree was a danger, since certain Bug Pokemon would love to attack me with my guard down. But the shade it provided was perfect for a picnic, so I couldn't resist. North of me was a rocky path leading a short ways up the mountainside. I could hear various trainers battling up there, so I didn't want to go poking my nose just yet if at all. If I continued on the road east, I'd arrive in Celestic Town before sundown. The small hamlet didn't have a Pokemon Gym, so I'd most likely pass through quickly towards my next destination.

My picnic consisted of a sandwich Mom had prepared for me before leaving, and a bottle of water. Mom had given me a minor scolding about eating and drinking mostly junk food the past few weeks, so she packed me a few bottles of fresh spring water. I enjoyed a cold drink as much as the next thirsty person in the middle of Summer, but I won't lie when I say I'd prefer a can of lemonade or soda pop over this. Still, I downed the bottle and looked up at the tree above me.

Being a honey tree, I could make out more than a few wild Combee scurrying about amongst the leaves. Once in a while, back in Eterna Forest, Combee would migrate to the area and turn some of the larger trees into honey trees. For the most part, the Pokemon were docile, compared to the likes of Dustox and Beedrill. I always used to think Beedrill and Vespiquen- the evolved form of Combee- made the perfect match. It was quite a shock to learn that Combee were native to Sinnoh, and rarely if ever appeared south of the region. That tidbit of knowledge in mind, I considered shaking the tree above me to see if I couldn't catch a Combee of my own.

Of course, the trick would be to catch a female Combee, so that it could one day evolve into a Vespiquen. The fact that male Combee never evolved was another strange thing, to the point I wrote a report once for school arguing that male Combee should be allowed to evolve into Beedrill. This was before I learned more about how Pokemon evolution works.

This new goal in mind, I packed up the remains of my picnic lunch and grabbed a couple Pokeballs from my bag. Releasing Shellos from her Pokeball, and holding onto a spare, I looked up into the branches to spot the largest concentration of Combee. I dug out my Pokedex as well, since I'd have to use it to identify a female once I upset the whole flock.

"Alright Shellos, when I tell you, use Water Gun. Got it?"

My Pokemon nodded, ready to move on my command. After picking out a gathering, I gave the order, and Shellos launched a small torrent of water up into the tree. Within seconds the Combee began to disperse, several taking to the sky away from the tree and a few coming down to our level to face us. I aimed my Pokedex at the group, moving quickly from one Combee to the next until I found a female. All the same the device took its time to voice the entry on the Pokemon.

"Combee, the Tiny Bee Pokemon. The trio is together from birth. It constantly gathers honey from flowers to please Vespiquen."

"Huh? Vespiquen?" I said aloud.

Sure enough, among the gathering of Combee another, much larger Pokemon emerged from the honey tree. It was a Vespiquen, its body far larger and expression clearly angered that I'd disturbed their afternoon. My hand moved to aim the Pokedex at her unconsciously.

"Vespiquen, the Beehive Pokemon. It releases various pheromones to make the grubs in its body do its bidding while fighting foes."

With a buzzing sound so low it made the air around us rumble, the Vespiquen seemed to issue an order to all the Combee in the area. Aside from the dozen or so that had descended from the tree to fight me, several dozen more began to fly out of the tree and towards Vespiquen. Even if I used all my Pokemon, chances were the sheer number of Combee under the direct command of their queen would overwhelm us. I slowly put away the Pokeball in my bag, and fished out Ponyta's next. Taking this as an act of aggression, the Vespiquen let out another low buzzing sound.

The swarm of Combee began to fly further into the sky, rearranging themselves into a column formation before charging down at me. I dove out of the way, grabbing Shellos in the process. I darted into the tall grass, using the cover to put Shellos back in her Pokeball and releasing Ponyta. The swarm only lost track of us for a moment, before descending again upon us. Without even thinking about it, I hopped onto Ponyta's back and my gallant Pokemon took off. As quickly as the Combee could fly or their Vespiquen could command them, they could not catch up to Ponyta, even when I was slowing her down.

After a short sprint, Ponyta slowed down and tried to shake me off. I jumped off her back before she could accomplish that.

"Sorry. I weigh too much for you, huh?" I asked. A small neigh was my answer, which I took as a yes.

"Guess I'll just have to wait until you evolve before you can carry me places." I smiled, giving her a pat on her head. "Thanks, though."

Ponyta neighed again, before rubbing her head against my chest. It was good to know I could rely on her in a pinch to get me out. What's more, I was lucky to have ended up closer to Celestic town after that little episode. Looking back the way we came, I could see the swarm of Combee, but they had given up chasing us. Though I was sad about not catching one, I told myself there'd be more chances in the future. I put Ponyta back in her Pokeball and continued on my way to Celestic Town.

* * *

There was a stillness in the air I couldn't quite describe. So far, any town I'd visited had been lively to some degree, even if it was the middle of the night. After all, people and trainers alike would constantly be coming and going places. But when I entered Celestic Town that afternoon, it was as if time had stopped in the valley.

Celestic Town was situated in the center of a small valley, just a short ways from Mt. Coronet's base and surrounded by dense forests. One of the many fun facts they teach you in school is how Celestic Town is the oldest location in Sinnoh, a national treasure of sorts. At first glance it was easy to tell; in the very center of town was a small shrine that looked older than anything I'd ever seen before. And near that a cave, with murals that looked like cavemen drew them centuries, maybe millennia ago. While my original plan had been to just spend the night and then press on, seeing the murals for myself convinced me that it would be worth listening to some lore from the locals before I left.

But all this came after I found the source of the stillness. Standing near the entrance to the cave in the center of town, gazing longingly at the murals on either side was a person I recognized immediately. Clad in the same silver and black garb I saw him in back at Verity Lake was the man called Cyrus, self-proclaimed leader of Team Galactic. And before I could even give it a second thought, I found myself standing next to him down in the center of town.

"Can I help you, child?" He asked without even glancing in my direction.

"You're Cyrus. We met at Verity Lake." I announced, preparing for a Pokemon match.

Cyrus stopped examining the mural and looked over at me. Or should I say, looked down at me, since he was considerably taller. Intimidating though it was, his response overshadowed that. "I don't recall."

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'm here to stop you!" I pulled out Gible's Pokeball, ready to kick his butt and call the police once I had.

"And what are you going to stop me from doing?" He asked, remaining perfectly calm.

I opened my mouth to speak, only to realize I didn't even know what his plan even was. The only thing I'd heard was the report Michael had brought up, and all it had said was a general warning for people to avoid Team Galactic in general. In fact, I don't think anyone had any idea what they were up to. The most I had come up with was a theory that they were after the legendary Pokemon Azelf, Uxie and Mesprit in order to enter the Distortion World to capture Giratina. But what his goal was with Giratina was still a complete mystery.

"From catching Giratina!"

I don't know why I revealed that. It was in my best interest to let him think I wasn't onto his plan, if Giratina was it. But once the words had escaped my lips, his calm expression turned dark for a moment. But just as quickly as it turned it warped back to his blank stare, followed by a fiendish smile.

"You're more clever than I thought. To think you would figure it out before Cynthia."

"Either way! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle! You can't turn me away!" I released Gible, my Dragon Pokemon ready for action. Still Cyrus remained unfazed or even appeared remotely interested in my challenge.

"You don't seriously expect to beat me with that?" He said in an obvious mocking tone. Even Gible picked up on it, and looked more furious than usual.

"Big talk from someone who hasn't even picked a Pokemon yet! Come on!" I yelled.

Cyrus appeared to have no Pokeballs on his person. He had no bag of any kind, and even his strange gray suit didn't look to have pockets to hide critters in. As I pondered whether he was traveling without Pokemon of his own, a third voice cut into our discussion. It came from the entrance to the cave nearby, and one look at the person was all I needed to identify her. Clad in all black, her blond hair almost glowing in the sun; it was none other than Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion.

"Who are you?" She asked me, looking somewhat peeved.

"My name is Mia. I'm a Pokemon Trainer." I said, before pointing a finger at Cyrus. "I just challenged this guy to a battle!"

Cynthia looked at Cyrus, who returned the glance with a shrug of his shoulders. "The child is right. Should I battle her? Or will you let me proceed on my way?"

Confused by his statement, I turned back to Cynthia. She clearly looked conflicted by the choices, but didn't even give me another glance before answering, "You may go."

With that, Cyrus turned around and started off in the direction of Route 210.

"Wh-What?! Hey! I challenged you!" I called out to him.

"Silence!" Cynthia commanded, causing my heart to skip a beat. "The last thing I expected was a trainer to show up and interfere."

"I'm sorry...?" I said, lost on this whole matter. "But that man! Don't you know who he was?"

"Of course I know," she replied with a heavy sigh. "I was hoping to trade information with him. Until you came along."

Cynthia's glare was ice cold, and being on the receiving end of it was painful to say the least. I wanted to apologize, but since I had no clue what she was trying to accomplish, or even how badly I screwed things up for her, I chose to keep my mouth shut. I could have left the scene even, but found myself just standing there silently until she spoke again.

"What are you still doing here?" She asked me.

"I'm sorry. About all this. I didn't know-"

"You're right. You didn't." She snapped. "Are you registered with the League?"

I nodded.

"And how many badges do you have? Total, all regions."

"Two. From here."

Another heavy sigh. "Then I guess it's a good thing I stopped you."

"Huh?"

"That man is dangerous. A trainer of your skill wouldn't have stood a chance."

I lowered my head, looking at Gible standing close by. It's true I wasn't an expert by any means, but I had confidence in my skills. Still, I tried to see things from Cynthia's point of view. If she claimed Cyrus to be a dangerous opponent, maybe I wouldn't have stood a chance. In the heat of the moment I didn't stop to think that this guy, being the head of an entire group of crazy bad Pokemon Trainers was probably a pretty tough Trainer himself. All this partly sorted in my head, I put Gible back in his Pokeball, feeling a bit ashamed of the entire ordeal now.

"You asked me if I knew who he was. Do you?" Cynthia asked me.

"Yeah. His name is Cyrus, he's the leader of Team Galactic, isn't he?"

Cynthia nodded. "That's correct. But how do you know him?"

I gave Cynthia a quick recap of my first encounter with him at Verity Lake. To top it off, I even added the bit about his catching Mesprit at the lake, and the small bit of research I did back in Canalave City. After hearing my tale, Cynthia's expression went from annoyed to intrigued.

"Mia, correct?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Mia Caelum."

"And you're sure he caught the Pokemon at Verity Lake?"

I nodded one more time. "I went into the cave, but there wasn't anything there. I mean, if there was a rare Pokemon there, wouldn't it just show up? Unless it was hidden?"

As the words came out of my mouth, I realized how little I knew. It hadn't occurred to me that Mesprit had probably just been in hiding. A rare- even legendary Pokemon- wouldn't just be sitting in the middle of a featureless cave waiting to be caught by anyone. If that were the case, it would have been caught by someone decades, even centuries before.

But Cynthia didn't budge. From what I could tell, she also thought Cyrus and Team Galactic had caught Mesprit. It was plain as day on her face. That same face that turned to me after staring off in the direction Cyrus had left.

"Cyrus believes I don't know what he's after."

"You do, right? About the three Pokemon to open the gate to the Distortion World?"

Cynthia nodded. "I didn't need to wait for him to capture one of the Lake Guardians to figure it out. Dialga and Palkia are beyond his grasp. There's only one other Pokemon that he could try to catch."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," she snapped again, causing my entire body to go stiff.

"Sorry..."

"Because of you I lost my one opportunity to get information out of Cyrus. But I suppose laying the blame on you won't undo the damage. I'll have to find some other way to get it now."

"Umm..." Upon my attempt to get her attention, she turned to me again with that cold glare.

"What?"

"You're the region Champion, right? Why didn't you just stop him? You're the strongest trainer in all Sinnoh, aren't you?"

Her glare turned to a smirk. Which was somehow scarier than her glare.

"That means nothing when a friend's life is on the line."

It was vague, but not vague enough for anyone following the news. Cynthia was referring to Lance, the Kanto Champion that had been missing for months. Cyrus probably knew something about where he was, and Cynthia wanted to get that information in exchange for something. And I had screwed it up.

"Can I help?" I said without sharing what I had pieced together.

"You've done enough. You will speak of this to no one, understand? And you will avoid Team Galactic and especially Cyrus from now on. Disobey me, and I'll have your Trainer ID revoked. Or worse, Cyrus will get to you before I do."

I felt a chill run down my spine. With that, Cynthia left, not saying another word to me or even looking at me as she did.

When Cyrus had left, the stillness remained in Celestic Town. But when Cynthia left, life seemed to return to the world around me. Almost as if time had been stopped while she was in town. I even began to feel a breeze blow through the town. I looked in the direction Cynthia had gone, but she had long since vanished into the darkness of the evening.

 _Dialga and Palkia are beyond his grasp_ , she'd said. I felt my pulse quicken when a thought hit me. A thought I couldn't help but voice aloud:

"Did Cynthia catch Dialga and Palkia?"


	13. Love & Dragons

Love & Dragons, Chapter XIII

* * *

I hardly got any sleep that night.

Part of it was guilt. I couldn't help but wonder if my challenging Cyrus to a match would cost Lance his life. What if Cyrus was holding him prisoner somewhere? What if Cynthia had Cyrus trapped in the town somehow, perhaps using Dialga and Palkia? And I just walked in and ruined her trap? It was my fault he got away. Cynthia's anger seemed to support this fear.

The other part of my insomnia was shock at the possibility that Cynthia had actually captured both Dialga and Palkia. I'd grown up hearing stories of these titanic Pokemon, creatures that governed time and space. Pokemon that couldn't possibly be controlled by humans, or at least that's what we thought. Could it be that Cynthia caught them to prevent Cyrus from doing the same? Would she simply release them afterward?

I didn't know her at all, but I just knew that's what she'd do. I know I wouldn't; I'd keep both and use them to become the strongest Pokemon Trainer in the world. Queen of all time and space! But Cynthia? She'd return them to nature, and let them go on doing what they've always done since time and space began.

Lance was the key to this whole mess. It was because Cyrus had him stashed away somewhere that Cynthia couldn't just stop Cyrus from capturing the Lake Guardians and trying to open the portal to the Distortion World. The minute she tried, Lance would be killed. Cyrus wouldn't hesitate; that much I was sure. Capturing Dialga and Palkia forced Cyrus to focus on Giratina, a Pokemon that looked to be a lot harder to find let alone catch. Maybe Cynthia was buying time, allowing someone else somewhere to find and rescue Lance? But what if they didn't do it in time? What if Cyrus managed to open the Distortion World and capture Giratina? Did Cynthia have a plan for that outcome?

Morning came as all this ran through my head. I fell asleep at some point during the night, but after waking up I was hardly rested. I had to keep moving; I wanted to become a stronger trainer so I could help Cynthia out. I didn't want to be the same little girl who messed up her plans. Despite tired eyes and heavy yawns I felt more determined than ever to become the best trainer I could be. And what lay ahead of me was Route 210. The same way Cyrus had gone the night before.

This road lay west of Celestic Town, before curving south along steep cliffs on the northeastern edge of the region. Because it was so high up, being almost equal in height with Mt. Coronet, the air on the road was colder than usual, and the path was often covered in fog. This fog was thicker in the morning and at night. Solaceon Town was on the other end, but it would probably take me a couple days to get there. For starters, the part of the route closest to Celestic Town consisted mainly of suspended bridges over a massive river that flowed down the side of Mt. Coronet and south towards the town itself. Add the view of a grand waterfall just beyond the fog and it was certainly a place worthy of traveling at least once in your life. All the place needed in my opinion were Pokemon worth capturing.

Sadly, the first thing I would run into were trainers. But even when I felt that first pang of annoyance at being challenged, I remembered my resolve. I had to get stronger, as did my Pokemon. And that meant I had to accept every challenge and win. No matter what.

"Hi!" The girl of the duo called out to me. She looked like a teenager, probably Ruby's age. While I was still determined, I still couldn't help but feel _little_ when addressing a teenage trainer.

"Hello..." I said in return, choosing that greeting over one identical to the older girl. Pretty sure it was involuntary to appear older than I was.

"You're a Pokemon Trainer, right? On your way to Solaceon Town?"

I nodded, and kept it at that.

"Cool! How about a double battle?"

"Double? Against you two?"

The other part of the duo was a guy who looked the same age as her. What's more, they were both wearing matching outfits consisting of orange and green sweats. He didn't look as talkative as his girlfriend.

"Yup! You don't have a friend with you, huh?"

I shook my head, but I doubted that would turn them off.

"Well, we could just do one-on-one? What do you think, Zac?"

She turned to her boyfriend (at this point I was just working under the assumption they were a couple), who shrugged.

"I don't know. Can you handle a double battle on your own, kid?"

"I'm not a kid!" I snapped, crossing my arms in front of me. "And of course I can! I accept your challenge!"

The boy- Zac- smiled and grabbed a Pokeball from his belt. "You heard her, Jen. Let's get this battle started. We'll make it one Pokemon each for us, two from you."

"You're on!" I said, grabbing hold of my bag and preparing to fish out two Pokemon of my own.

"Geez, work up the little kid why don't ya?" The girl Jen laughed, but I ignored her as I was deciding which Pokemon to go with. The boy Zac released his Pokemon first, a flying bug I wasn't familiar with which took to the sky above the bridge we'd be fighting on. The girl followed, and her Pokemon turned out to be a Raichu, the evolved form of Pikachu. A Pokemon which probably didn't even need an introduction. Knowing my enemy, I took a few steps back and chose my critters for the battle. Throwing their Pokeballs out, I released Gible and Mawile.

"Nice Pokemon!" Zac called out. What's more, I could tell from his tone he was being totally honest.

"Thanks!" I said with a smile on my face.

"Alright, let's get this started! Raichu, blast them both with Thunderbolt!" Jen called out, issuing the first orders of the battle.

Jen's Pokemon began to build up a massive charge, aiming it at both my Pokemon. With a single shout to Gible, my small dragon leapt in front of Mawile, shielding her from the incoming attack. A bolt of lightning fell from somewhere in the sky, striking Raichu first before it was redirected ahead at my Pokemon. Gible absorbed the attack, but when it was over nothing had happened. I smiled as I pulled out my Pokedex to begin scanning my opponents; after all, Gible was immune to electric attacks because he was part Ground type.

"Mothim, the Moth Pokemon. It loves the honey of flowers and steals honey collected by Combee."

Memories of my encounter with the swarm of angry Combee flashed through my mind. Maybe all I needed was a Mothim of my own?

"Mothim, Gust!"

Zac took point this time, and his flying bug began to whip up a powerful wind to blow away Gible. This time, it was Mawile to took point, shielding Gible from the attack while she latched onto the bridge using her massive jaw.

"Gible, use Dragon Rage!"

From behind Mawile, the small dragon leapt up on Mawile's head once the wind had settled down and blasted Mothim with the purple flames. Taking the brunt of the attack, Mothim backed away while Raichu started charging at both my Pokemon.

"Body Slam, Raichu!"

With impressive speed, Raichu launched itself belly-first at Gible, taking him down and crushing him under Raichu's weight (little though it may have been).

"Mawile, Vicegrip!"

Releasing her hold on the bridge, Mawile's jaw reached back and latched onto Raichu. The electrical rodent began to squirm and cry out as Mawile's jaw put the squeeze on it.

"Raichu, Thundershock!"

Sporting a direct connection, Raichu's attack was able to course freely from its cheeks down through Mawile's body. Mawile's small yellow body tensed up in pain, but she didn't release Raichu; the grip tightened even further, cutting Raichu's attack off prematurely.

"Mothim, Psybeam!"

Having shaken off the damage from Gible's attack, Mothim positioned itself to launch the psychic attack at Mawile.

"Gible, stop him with Take Down!"

My Pokemon leapt into the air again, always surprising me with how high he could jump given his stubby legs. Mothim managed to begin the Psybeam attack, striking Mawile dead-on and thus causing her to drop Raichu. A few seconds later, Gible's entire body crashed against Mothim, forcing him to the ground with a powerful crash.

"Raichu, Thunderbolt!"

"Mawile, Feint Attack!"

With blazing speed Raichu charged up his attack, complete with the lightning bolt out of no where. When redirected at Mawile, my Pokemon seemed to sidestep the attack with such grace it was almost impossible to see with the naked eye. The electric attack then struck both Gible and Mothim; my Pokemon was unaffected, while Mothim was left crispy to say the least. I could practically see the tears on Zac's face when he saw his Pokemon get hurt that much. Finally, with a few steps Mawile closed the distance on Raichu, and with her massive jaw slammed into Raichu, sending him rolling along to the bridge's edge. Just before Raichu fell off into the river below, Mawile grabbed hold of him by the tail and dragged him back up.

"Mawile, finish him off with-"

"WAIT! Stop!" Jen cried out, scrambling for her Pokeball. With superb aim she managed to retrieve her Raichu even though Mawile had him in her grasp. Zac wasted no time in doing the same.

"Man. You sure are ruthless, kid." Zac said after both their Pokemon were safe and sound in storage.

"My name is Mia." I said sternly. Being called the baby sister by my siblings annoyed me to no end, and being called something like kid by strangers was no different.

"Right, Mia. Sorry about that." Jen spoke up.

Now that the battle was over, I put both my Pokemon away and crossed the bridge to Zac and Jen.

"Gotta hand it to ya, didn't think you could win." That came from Zac, who was already moving to pay me for the victory.

"And why's that?" I asked, fully expecting something about my age or appearance. Zac didn't answer, though.

"Better if he doesn't answer," Jen cut in, handing me some money as well. "We lost, and we lost because we underestimated you. Let's leave it at that, okay?"

I nodded. "Fine. Probably the truth."

Around us, the morning was moving towards noon, but the fog didn't look to be thinning out. Because of this it felt a little spooky, despite it being broad daylight. In a way, it reminded me of the mansion in Eterna Forest, where I'd met the ghost of Etria twice already.

"So you're going it alone, huh?" Zac said, trying to strike up conversation. I honestly didn't expect that from him.

"Yeah. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?"

Zac shrugged. "Depends on the person, really. I started alone, too. Until I met Jen."

He turned to the girl at his side, and for just a second or two I saw her cheeks glow red. "S-Same for me," she managed to say.

"So you're traveling as boyfriend and girlfriend?"

This time, it was Zac who was caught off-guard, and he looked away from me quick. Jen blushed again, before extending her arm to my back and leading me away from Zac. We walked a short ways up the bridge, in the direction I was headed in the first place.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked her once I was sure Zac couldn't hear us anymore.

"N-No... it's just weird right now when someone else says it." She explained. Though it didn't really explain a lot.

"What do you mean? Are you or aren't you?" I asked, my head cocked slightly.

Jen's face remained red, her eyes wandering in every possible direction as she searched for an answer. "I think we are...?"

I was going to say something else, but didn't. When I was in school, being boyfriend and girlfriend was always something solid that everyone was sure of. I knew a couple that hated each other when we were all 9. And then when we moved on to the next grade, two weeks into school they just became a couple. Suddenly they did everything together, and on their way home they'd walk hand in hand. It's strange, at the time I thought it was kinda silly. The better part of me thought it was even icky. But now, several months later, I think about those two and feel just a little bit jealous. And when I think about the boys I knew in my class, I can't seem to remember any of them clearly. Several other people I'd known in Eterna City I'd thought of as cute; older boys that really made me feel like I had a swarm of Butterfree in my stomach. Looking up at Jen, her face still bright red and her hands unconsciously pulling at her hair made me feel the same way I had before. Jealous.

"Is it..." I began, my voice trailing a bit before I stopped.

"What?"

"... is it nice?" I managed to ask in the end.

Again Jen blushed, but she answered much quicker this time. And her tone much more assured of the answer she gave. "Yeah."

That answer seemed to make my heart stop for a moment. Like a sudden void where my heart should be. Jen seemed to notice, because before I realized it she was kneeling down in front of me. She wasn't the tallest girl, even if she was like five or six years older than me. But I was also a really short girl, so this way she could look me right in the eyes.

"It's okay," she said.

"What is?" I asked back, suddenly very confused.

"You don't have feel bad. You're still just a kid."

"I am not." I spat back. Only after I had did I realize it only strengthened her point.

"You're on a Pokemon Journey, right?"

I nodded.

"Maybe you'll find someone. But don't think you have to, okay? I didn't start my adventure just to find a boyfriend. When I was your age, I didn't even care about boys, you know?"

I nodded.

"But then I met Zac and... well, I'm happy I did. Maybe that'll happen for you. Maybe not. But don't ever think it HAS to happen, understand? That's not the way it works."

I nodded, but this time I wasn't sure what she was getting at.

"You're really sweet. I can tell; and you're pretty darn smart, too. I don't think you'll have any trouble when it comes to finding someone. Just remember-"

"That's not what I'm out here for," I finished for her. She smiled at me and nodded.

"You take care out there, Mia. And here..."

Jen reached into her bag, fished around for something, and finally brought out a pair of bracelets. They were both handmade, consisting of an orange and green part that wove together. Aside from that, they were otherwise forgettable.

"What are they?"

"I made these not long after I met Zac. I always wanted to give one to him, and wear one for myself. Like, to prove we were together." She explained.

"So why didn't you?"

Jen smiled, then looked up at me. "Because I realized I didn't have to."

"Huh...?"

Jen put the bracelets in my hand. "We might be weird when someone asks us if we're a couple, but we both know what we are. We don't need the bracelets to prove it. You keep these. And the day you find your special someone, you can decide for yourself."

I still didn't quite understand what she was saying, but I accepted the gift all the same. Jen stood up again and started back down the bridge towards Zac. Before she vanished into the fog, she waved at me. I waved back, and then started up the bridge myself. I still felt that void in my chest where my heart should have been. But when I slipped on one of the bracelets Jen had given me, it didn't feel so empty anymore.

I tucked away the second bracelet in my bag and pressed onward.

* * *

According to my Poketch, it wasn't even 3PM, yet there was hardly any sunlight on the road anymore. The fog had grown thicker instead of thinner the closer I got to the edge of Route 210, where the path would turn south. Some time before I stopped for lunch I had run into a trainer who told me about the wild Pokemon in the area. Nothing I couldn't handle, but he did warn me about wild Scyther that liked to use the fog for cover to launch sneak attacks. Because of that, when I stopped for lunch I released Gible to keep watch as I ate. And even then I couldn't enjoy myself, since every little noise I heard made me drop my sandwich, jump to my feet and scan the immediate vicinity.

In the end I didn't see a single Scyther, which proved a mixed blessing. I didn't want to be caught off-guard by the Pokemon, but I had wanted to catch one given the chance. All the same, I pressed on through, finding no more trainers or even wild Pokemon. In fact, the lack of any other living things is what had me more on edge. It reminded me of the mansion in Eterna Forest. And at that point I began to wonder why my thoughts kept returning to that place and the ghost girl who haunted it.

As the scenery (or what little of it I could make out) changed from barren mountains to grassy patches and trees, I realized I was close at last to the southbound part of Route 210. And that's when I came across a house along the edge of the road, precariously close to the cliff. I checked my map, but there wasn't anything on it about a house here, meaning it probably belonged to someone who just happened to be living there. Certain homes or buildings were marked on the map, such as the Cafe Cabin which was somewhere down the path from here. And normally I wouldn't go knocking at a stranger's door, but considering the encroaching darkness and fog I found myself standing in front of the door. A few knocks later, there was an answer.

"Yes?" The person who answered was an old woman, clad in a lavender robe of some kind I didn't recognize. Her hair was white as snow, and held up in a bun like a typical old lady.

"Hi, I'm a Pokemon Trainer. I was just wondering if this house was open to travelers?"

It was straightforward, and probably rude. If she turned me away that would be that; despite how dark it was I still had plenty of time to march south, and possibly make it to Cafe Cabin.

"Come in." The old lady answered, stepping away from the door so I could pass.

"Thank you," I said as I let myself in.

I expected the typical old lady home. Lots of pictures, trinkets of her long life scattered about, a couple couches, a scrapbook on an end table. But when I was inside I found out this old lady wasn't typical. Sure, there were tons of pictures about, but most of them were of Pokemon. Dragon Pokemon to be exact; a number of them I recognized, and some I didn't but could still guess where Dragon types. A prominent piece hanging over her fireplace mantle was a red-on-black sigil that resembled a dragon. I turned to the old lady, which had been watching me all this time.

"Something catch your eye, deary?"

I pointed up to the large sigil. "I think I've seen this before. What is it?"

The old woman smiled. "A souvenir from a place I lived at a long time ago."

"Really? But what does it mean? I know I've seen it before..."

This time she chuckled slightly. "It's the sigil of Dragon Tamers. Most famously the ones that hail from Blackthorn City."

That's where. I realized that same design was on the buckle that held Lance's cape in place. In all the publicity photos of the Kanto Champion they'd shown on TV recently he always had it on. As my mind put this together, I turned back to the old woman.

"Does that mean you're a Pokemon Trainer, too?"

However, she shook her head. "I haven't been one for many, many years. Since long before you were born, deary."

"But you were one? And a Dragon type specialist?"

"I suppose you could say they were my specialty. I was born and raised in Blackthorn City. Dragon Pokemon are abundant there."

The old woman took a seat, and I did the same across from her. While she wasn't a trainer anymore, there was probably stuff I could learn from her. Having specialized in Dragons, she could probably teach me how to battle better with Gible.

"I take it you want me to give you some pointers?" She asked, as if she'd read my mind.

"If it's not too much trouble?" I quickly fished Gible's Pokeball from my bag and showed it to her.

"You have a Dragon type?"

"Yeah! He was my first Pokemon."

With that, I released Gible in front of her. My small purple critter looked up at me with those large eyes and teeth, then up at the old woman sitting across from me. He gave her a growl as a greeting before waddling over to my side.

"Gible, huh? There's a mountain of potential." The old woman chuckled.

"He's my strongest Pokemon, and my closest friend. We've only been together for less than a month, but I'd do anything for him."

"Trust me, deary. I can see that."

"Oh! I'm Mia. I never told you my name."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mia. I'm Wilma, but you can call me Grandma Wilma." She smiled.

"Umm... okay...?" I wasn't sure I would, since that felt really weird to me. I didn't even know my own grandmother, so calling a stranger no matter how nice "grandma" just felt off.

"No need to fret, deary. It just helps the young ones feel more at ease."

"I-I see..." So it was mostly for my sake, since she probably just saw me as a kid. Which I guess compared to her I was. I wondered if it was safe to ask how old she was, but she moved along to the more important matter.

"What is it you want me to teach you, deary?"

"How to be a better trainer? Gible and I battle well, but I just know that with some help from a true expert we could do so much better!"

Wilma- Grandma Wilma, I guess- nodded. But that's all she did.

"So... can you?"

"I'm afraid not, deary."

"Huh? Why not?" I asked.

"I don't do that kind of training anymore."

"So what kind of training DO you do?"

It's as if that's what Grandma Wilma was waiting to hear. She rose from her seat, and motioned for us to follow. She grabbed something off her mantle before heading out the front door. Once we were outside, she kept walking towards the edge of the cliff. We stopped just shy of taking a plunge.

"Do you know what this is, deary?" She held up a round disc in her hand.

"Yeah, that's a TM, isn't it?"

A TM, or Technical Machine. It was a device invented by someone at the Pokemon League to teach Pokemon new combat moves they normally couldn't learn. Before its invention, the only way to do that was to spend days, weeks tutoring a Pokemon on how to do it. While often successful, there would be quite a number of failures. The TM was invented to skip this. By running the device next to a Pokemon, the move was transferred directly into the Pokemon's memory. The only way this could fail was if the move wasn't compatible with the Pokemon in the first place. And it was easy enough to see if that were the case thanks to the TM in the first place.

"Correct. This is a move called Draco Meteor."

"Draco Meteor? I've never heard of it before."

"Probably because not many trainers have it. I developed it myself, a long time ago."

"Wow...! So what does it do?"

"It's a very powerful skill. It can only be used by Dragons, and allows them to summon a small meteorite of pure energy to crush their foes."

My eyes lit up at the explanation. With a move like that handy, I was certain nothing could stand against Gible! And the fact that it was virtually unknown meant my opponents couldn't even hope to guard against it. At best they'd probably be able to dodge it, but if it was as fast as it sounded, they probably wouldn't even be able to pull that off!

"However," she continued, "the skill isn't without its drawbacks."

"Like what?"

"For one, it puts an incredible strain on your Pokemon. Some Pokemon might not even be able to handle using the attack until they've grown much stronger."

"I'm sure Gible is plenty strong to handle it! Right, boy?" I looked down at my Pokemon, who growled cheerfully in agreement.

"I do not doubt your Pokemon's strength. However, Draco Meteor was designed for use by the strongest Dragon types. I'm afraid Gible might not be able to use the skill until he evolves into Garchomp. Gabite at the earliest."

I wasn't even sure what Gible's evolved forms looked like, much less when he would evolve. Dragon types were famous for taking long periods of time and training to evolve, which made them so powerful in the first place. Looking down at Gible, I suddenly felt a pang of regret. I had grown extremely fond of my little Dragon, especially his cute exterior and the fact that he waddles around like a toddler when he wasn't bouncing through the air like a missile. To think that one day he'd turn into some colossal monster...

"I won't object to teaching Gible the skill. Just know that it might not be possible for him to use it at this time." Grandma Wilma pointed out, along with the TM in her hand. I didn't even have to order Gible about; he was already waddling towards the old lady to accept his new skill.

"Gible, wait!"

My Pokemon stopped, looking back at me with his wide mouth open.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, if you can't use it, then you'll have to wait until you evolve. And... it's not that I don't want you to evolve, but..."

I didn't know what else to say. I'd heard from Ruby and Iris that forcing evolution on a Pokemon was a constant debate amongst trainers. While evolution was a natural process, some Pokemon rejected it, and this would lead to trainers overruling their Pokemon's wishes just to get a stronger fighter in the end. I didn't want to be like them. If Gible didn't want to evolve when the time came, I wouldn't force him. The same applied to any of my other Pokemon. That fear was present even when I was training Wurmple at the outset of my journey, so I was relieved when he finally evolved into Cascoon and then Dustox, even if they weren't the Pokemon I had hoped for.

Gible growled at me. I couldn't understand why he did, or what he was trying to say with it. Grandma Wilma chuckled when he did, though.

"It seems Gible is telling you not to worry."

"Huh? You understand him?"

She nodded. "I've been around Pokemon all my life, and be they a Dragon or a Normal type, you learn what it is they're trying to tell you. Especially from your own Pokemon."

I suddenly felt awful. That this old woman whom we'd just met could better understand Gible than me. In that moment, Gible waddled back over to me. He nudged my leg with his snout, and I dropped to my knees so I could look him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, boy. I just wasn't sure. I'm sorry I can't understand what you're trying to tell me all the time."

I could feel my eyes welling up, but I fought to keep the tears in check. Gible seemed to notice, and he let out a soft gurgle before rubbing his face into my chest. I put my arms around Gible, and gave him a soft kiss on his head. I'd felt what Gible's skin was like before; scales like a dragon, warm to the touch. But now that I held him this close, he somehow felt softer than that. Like another person; like a small child. The tears escaped and crawled down my cheeks. I didn't want them to, but when they landed on Gible's head he pulled away. To my surprise, he licked them off my face, causing me to giggle. When Gible saw my smile return, he growled again. His job was complete.

"Thank you, boy." I gave him another kiss, this time on the tip of his nose.

Gible returned to Grandma Wilma's side, ready now to accept the Draco Meteor skill. I wiped off the remnants of my tears, and gave Grandma Wilma the okay to proceed. She turned on the TM, the disc spinning in place as she placed it on Gible's head. Within seconds, the disc stopped, and Grandma Wilma pulled it away.

"And we're done, deary."

"Th-That's it?" I asked.

"That's it. Gible was easily capable of learning Draco Meteor. I wasn't sure if he could actually use it in battle, is all."

Feeling so embarrassed, I rubbed my eyes as Gible waddled back to my side. I took a few deep breaths to clear out any traces of the runny nose from when I'd cried moments ago.

"So, is it okay if we practice the move?"

Grandma Wilma smiled. "I figured you'd want to do that."

And then from behind her back, the old lady produced a Pokeball. Without any fanfare, she released the Pokemon in front of us. It wasn't huge, but its blue and red body caused it to stand out against the white fog. I quickly reached for my Pokedex to scan it.

"Druddigon, the Cave Pokemon. It races through narrow caves, using its sharp claws to catch prey. The skin on its face is harder than a rock."

"Whoa..."

"Surprised, deary?"

"Yeah! I thought you said you weren't a trainer?"

Grandma Wilma chuckled. "I'm not. This is just an old friend from back when I was a little bit older than you. We aren't as young as we used to be."

"So is this a battle?"

"No, deary. Druddigon will just be your target. Don't worry, he won't go down easy. We just want to see if Gible has the strength to use Draco Meteor."

Grandma Wilma stepped aside, leaving her Pokemon standing in front of Gible and I. With a deep breath, I looked down at my Pokemon, and he up at me.

"Alright. Gible, use Draco Meteor!"

Gible's body began to glow, and I could feel the air around use being sucked in towards him. The power continued to build, until at last he let out a fierce roar towards the sky. My gaze shot up, and in that instant something came piercing through the fog. It looked like a hunk of rock, but it was glowing a shade of pink, and it left behind a trail of sparkles and light as it cut through the air. Within seconds it crashed directly on Druddigon, flooding the area around the Pokemon with the same dark flames and smoke I'd seen when Gible used Dragon Rage in the past. When they dissipated, Druddigon remained on his feet. He looked pretty banged up, though.

"Whoa..." I couldn't help but utter in shock.

"Congratulations. It seems I underestimated you." Grandma Wilma said as she approached Druddigon. She put her Pokemon back in its Pokeball.

"That was amazing, Gible!"

However, my cheer was premature. Gible was flat on his belly, looking beyond exhausted.

"Gible?! Are you okay?" I dropped to the ground beside him, picking him up and stroking his head gently. He let out a soft cry and then closed his eyes. I felt my heart stop, but then heard a snore erupt from his nose.

"Don't worry. The Draco Meteor takes its toll on Pokemon. Gible is still young, it seems. If you order him to use it, he'll probably exhaust himself in the process. With practice he'll be able to withstand using it."

I let out a sigh, feeling tears at the corners of my eyes again. I gave my Pokemon a hug, and then stood up again. He was heavier than he looked, so I considered putting him back in his Pokeball.

"Why don't you bring him inside? I'll fix us something to eat while he rests. You're welcome to stay the night, deary."

"Thank you, Grandma Wilma." I said, feeling both relieved and happy to have finally called her that aloud.


	14. The Stalker of the Pasture

The Stalker of the Pasture, Chapter XIV

* * *

Gible was back on his feet, looking better than ever. Even I felt I had more energy than usual, thanks in part to sleeping indoors on a comfortable bed and Grandma Wilma's cooking. Not only was she an expert Dragon Tamer, she was also a darn good cook, too. But of course, I couldn't just stick around forever. I had a journey to get back to, and now my starter Pokemon was stronger and more prepared than ever!

"Thank you for everything, Grandma Wilma." I told her that morning just before I left.

"It was no trouble at all, deary. I see great potential in you as a Pokemon Trainer. Do you have any plans after your journey is finished?"

"Not yet. I want to participate in the Sinnoh League, but after that? I don't really know." I shrugged.

"I believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. But if there ever comes a time you want to follow the path of the Dragon Tamer, you know where to find me." She smiled.

"R-Really? A Dragon Tamer, like you?!"

She nodded. "It's not an easy job, but seeing how well you work with Gible, I think you might have what it takes."

As excited as I was at the prospect, I reeled back just a bit. "But I only have one Dragon Pokemon right now."

"Being a Dragon Tamer isn't about using Dragon types exclusively. As a matter of fact, the most important part of the training is to know all about the other seventeen types as well. Only then will you know how to best utilize dragons."

"Wait... don't you mean sixteen?" I asked. I was under the impression there were 17 Pokemon types.

"I see you aren't quite up to date, deary. It's not that surprising, really."

It wasn't every day that almost everything you knew about Pokemon was turned upside down. According to Grandma Wilma, there was recently a confirmed discovery of an eighteenth type, and the Pokemon League was still trying to get the information out to all the trainers registered. Apparently, some inconsistencies when it came to Pokemon like Clefairy brought the matter to Professor Sycamore's attention in the Kalos region. After extensive study and research, he was the one who confirmed the existence of the Fairy type, which had the unique trait of being completely immune to dragons.

"So that's why you heard about it so quickly," I said after Grandma Wilma's explanation was complete.

"Of course, deary. Anything that would impact a Dragon Tamer's effectiveness in combat should be a priority. Since the beginning of the year the information has been rolling out to trainers with Pokedexes. The discovery happened in the Kalos region, so it's taken a bit of time to get it out here to the mainland."

Which meant that the next time I was in a major city, I could probably drop by the Pokemon Center and see about updating my Pokedex. With the most up-to-date information I'd be better equipped against this new Fairy type.

"So you're headed to Solaceon Town, next?"

I nodded. "It's the next place on the map for me to visit. But I don't think there's a gym there."

"You're right, there isn't. However, there is one in Veilstone City. It's right around the corner, as it were."

My eyes went wide. "I'm that close to Veilstone?"

Grandma Wilma nodded. "All you have to do is continue onto Route 215 instead of heading towards Solaceon Town."

"Thank you so much, Grandma Wilma! For everything!"

Saying my good-byes for real this time, I set out from her place with a spring in my step. The fog that persisted in the area was thin that morning, so there was little to slow my progress as I headed south on Route 210.

* * *

A ways south of Grandma Wilma's home was a great pasture, the likes of which I'd never seen. Up until now, all the routes leading to or from anywhere had been mostly open roads, or heavily forested areas. To see a field this wide and free was quite a sight. But that wasn't the only reason. Dotting the landscape ahead of me were dozens of pink Pokemon. I had to get closer to see what any of them were, but I had a good enough idea from a distance.

I started wading through the tall grass of the pasture, when out from it came the green form of a Pokemon. I immediately knew which it was, but before I could do anything my eyes focused on something else. While the Pokemon's body was in fact green, most of it was covered in something red. Something I recognized just as well as the Pokemon itself. Then the Pokemon flashed its large, bladed claws at me; they too were covered in that red substance I dared not mention.

With a piercing cry it charged at me. I dove out of the way, but the Scyther that attacked moved quick enough to cut into my skirt as I crashed onto the ground. I didn't feel any pain, so I figured the tearing sound was entirely my outfit. Digging into my bag, I pulled out the first Pokeball I could get and released the Pokemon. Mawile was what came out, the small Steel type standing up to the angry Scyther.

"Mawile, Bite!"

My Pokemon spun around, unleashing the full force of her dark jaw on the Scyther. She latched onto the Pokemon, delivering a powerful squeeze that caused the Scyther to cry out and then begin slashing wildly at Mawile. One of the swipes struck the jaw, causing Mawile to release the Scyther. Now freed, the Scyther took off into the sky and off to the edges of the pasture where it could hide in the trees. I stood up, looking around to make sure there wasn't another bloodthirsty Scyther running around. What I did see were some people running out towards me from the southern end of the pasture. It seems the cry of the Scyther had caused some of the pink Pokemon in the distance to panic. Putting away Mawile so she could rest, I walked over to the spot where the Scyther had emerged from.

There was a Pokemon there, but it wasn't alive anymore. A Miltank, a Pokemon I'd seen before on both TV and milk cartons Mom would bring home. This one had been slashed on several places by the Scyther, but I couldn't understand why. As far as I knew, Scyther weren't carnivorous, and Miltank were hardly aggressive in the wild. Swallowing hard, I pulled away from the sight and looked back at the people approaching me. Within minutes, they were there.

"Are you alright?" One of the two people asked me. It was a man, his face covered in a beard and thick mustache.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I told him. The other person with him was a girl in a waitress outfit, probably a teenager. She walked around behind me, making sure I was indeed okay.

"Your clothes are ripped back here. Are you sure you're not cut?" She asked, checking through the tears in my skirt behind me. I spun around with a blush to stop her.

"I'm okay, really!" Then I turned again so my back (and exposed backside I would imagine) wasn't facing the man or girl.

"We heard a Scyther, and all the Miltank went crazy. Did you scare it off?" The man asked.

"Yeah. He flew off that way," I said, pointing in the correct direction.

"Damned Scyther," the man cursed, stroking his beard. He looked over to the dead Pokemon I was standing nearby. "That's the third one this week."

"Boss, why don't we head back? I'm sure she's scared." The girl suggested.

"I'm not, really. Just a little confused." I chimed in, but I might as well not have been present.

"You're right. Head on back, I'm going to take care of this one here."

The man released a Pokemon, which I tried to scan but was unable to as the grass obscured him and the girl in the waitress outfit led me away. While I would have complained, I knew that both of them were just trying to be helpful. From what I could tell, the Scyther attacks were a problem for them. And the way the girl was making sure I was okay, I hadn't been the first person to stumble on a mad Scyther. The girl took me to a small establishment on the southern end of the pasture, which I immediately realized was the Cafe Cabin I was looking for. A quick glance showed that Route 215 continued on east from there, and further south was a cleared road towards Solaceon Town.

"Come inside. We had to close up when we heard the Scyther." The girl said, unlocking the door and heading in. Inside was a small place of business, with only a few tables and twice as many chairs. Behind the counter were a few drink dispensing machines, along with two massive white refrigerators.

"You're sure you're okay?" The girl asked me once again.

"Yeah. I guess the Scyther just caught my outfit with its claws. Maybe I should change..."

"Go ahead. Better now than before the boss gets back."

Taking her advice, I pulled out a fresh outfit from my bag and began to change despite her watching. She was a girl after all, though it still had me a bit embarrassed.

"Why are the Scyther around here attacking your Miltank? Those are yours, right?" I asked as I changed.

"Well, they belong to the boss," the girl explained. "He lets them graze on the pasture so the milk they produce tastes better. At least, that's what he claims."

"And the Scyther?" By now all I had to put on was the tie. Why I bothered bringing those along to complete my uniform look was beyond me.

"That's what we haven't figured out. A couple weeks ago they just started attacking the Miltank. Boss has been running this place for years and it's never happened."

With my tie on, I took the damaged outfit I had on before and passed it along to the waitress girl.

"Trash, right?" She asked.

"Yeah. I don't know how to sew. Do you?"

"Nope." She tossed the outfit in the trash behind the counter. I felt just a little bit sad about it. It was the first outfit I'd lost on my journey. Fortunately I still had plenty in my bag.

"I'm Kati, by the way." She finally introduced herself, pulling a glass out from behind the counter.

"Mia." I smiled, my face still a bit flushed from having just changed in front of her.

"Want anything to drink? On the house, since you were just attacked."

I took a free Moomoo Milk, since it was the specialty of the place. Aside from being a healthy and refreshing beverage, one of the reasons it was so popular was because it also had powerful healing properties for Pokemon. Not long after, the "boss" as Kati referred to her returned. At his side was his Pokemon, and now that I had the chance I could scan it.

"Mr. Mime, the Barrier Pokemon. It is a pantomime expert that can create invisible but solid walls using miming gestures."

"Cool," I smiled to myself.

"Well? What happened out there, boss?" Kati asked.

"Buried the poor cow. What gets me is why the Scyther kills them like that. Scyther don't eat meat. And they might be prickly 'mons but they wouldn't just attack unprovoked." He explained, then turned to me.

"You alright, kid?"

And for the fourth time, "Yeah. Thanks for asking."

"Sorry about the trouble. Kati offer you something to drink?"

I nodded, and then he took a seat at the counter in front of his waitress.

"I just don't know what to do, anymore. This keeps up, I'll lose all my Miltank." He complained.

"If it's okay, maybe I can help?"

Both he and Kati looked over at me.

"Thinking of huntin' down that Scyther for us?"

"Are you sure, Mia? It's a really nasty bug." Kati pitched in.

"It's just a large bug, right? If I can find where it's hiding, I'll use a Fire Pokemon to take it out."

"Would be doin' us a solid, kid. Mr. Mime is a great Pokemon but he doesn't stand a chance against a bug. And Kati has a Pokemon of her own, but it's no match for it." The boss explained.

"That's not true!" Kati protested, before turning back to me. "It's just very scary to fight that Scyther alone, you know? You saw what it did to the boss's Pokemon. I don't know what I'd do if the same happened to my Pokemon."

"But it's perfectly fine if it happens to mine?" The bearded man spat back.

"I-I didn't say that!"

"It's okay!" I cut in before it got any worse. It was clear that Kati's boss was already on edge about having lost so many Pokemon. "I'll take care of it. Pay you back for the help."

In truth the "help" they offered wasn't much. And a free serving of Moomoo Milk certainly wasn't worth the effort it would take to backtrack into the pasture and overgrowth to hunt down that Scyther. Still, it would give me a chance to catch it, which was my plan since the day before.

"We'd thank you kindly for the help, kid. All the same, I'm sending Kati out wit'cha."

"Huh? Boss?"

"You mean to let this little girl go out there and face that bloodthirsty Scyther all on her lonesome?" He barked.

"It's okay, I am a Pokemon Trainer..."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right, boss. Give me a minute, Mia, and I'll join up wit'cha."

With a sigh and a shrug of my shoulders, I let myself out of the Cafe Cabin. Kati joined me before long, still clad in her waitress outfit but now carrying a bag similar to mine.

"You're going like that?" I asked her.

"Sure thing. Aren't you dressed in a schoolgirl get-up?" She pointed out.

"I guess. Well, let's go."

* * *

The forest on the west end of the pasture was especially dense, blocking out plenty of sunlight. According to the map, if one were to cross through there, they'd end up at the base of Mt. Coronet, which explained why a road hadn't been paved through there. I lead the way, with Kati following close behind and watching our rear.

"Your boss is pretty pushy." I said, making small talk.

"He's not so bad. Just really jumpy because of the Scyther attacks."

"Haven't any other trainers come through to help? Strange that I'd be the only one in weeks."

"There were a couple, but none of them cared to help. I mean, we can't exactly force anyone to, and it seems a mad Scyther isn't exactly worth chasing after. I don't think a lot of people like that Pokemon anyway."

Not that I liked Scyther, but in truth I'd been wanting to replace Dustox on my team with a different Pokemon. In a few battles I'd had recently, Dustox's low speed and power had been making battles much harder to finish. Of course, replacing one bug with another felt almost pointless, but after seeing that Scyther in action I really wanted one. Actually, now that I thought about it, the trainer who told me about the Scyther attacks the day before was probably talking about this same one. Maybe he'd seen it firsthand on the pasture, or heard about it from Kati and her boss.

"By the way, we really 'preciate you doing this for us. Boss might say it, but it never really sounds like he means it, you know?"

"Yeah, I kinda got that feeling. But it's okay. Have you been working for him for a long time?"

"It FEELS like a long time," Kati laughed. "I don't know, maybe a couple months? I come from Solaceon Town every morning for work. He was the only person who had an opening. But he also doesn't pay much."

"So you're not a trainer?"

Kati shook her head. "Not really. I never registered, and battling Pokemon was always kinda scary for me when I was a kid."

"Scary? How?"

From my own experiences, it could be scary when faced with wild Pokemon. My first major encounter was with the swarm of Beedrill and Dustox in Eterna Forest, which could have ended terribly for me on the same day I started. Then there was that incident with the crazy Team Galactic grunt, who had ordered her Golbat to _kill_ me outright. And most recently the crazed Scyther...

"Never mind. I guess I understand." I said.

"So I'm planning to save enough money to move. I really want to go live in Kalos!"

"Really? What are you going to do there?"

Kati didn't answer right away, so I turned around just in case she had seen something I hadn't. However, her gaze was turned down to the ground. And down there, I saw it too. Another dead Pokemon, this time a Hoothoot.

"Oh my gosh..." I uttered, taking a step back from the corpse.

"This is a Flying type. I know it's smaller than Scyther, but would a Scyther attack a Flying type Pokemon like this?" Kati asked.

 _They wouldn't_. At least, I didn't think so. It just felt like it would go against every instinct in a Pokemon's being to go up against something that had the natural advantage. I took a quick look around the area, wondering if the Scyther responsible for this was still around.

"Mia..." I heard Kati whisper. "The Hoothoot is still bleeding..."

My heart skipped a beat. That meant the kill was fresh. Without thinking twice I reached into my bag and got out Ponyta's Pokeball. In that moment, I heard a _whoosh_ come at us from behind. Without looking, I dove forward, tackling Kati to the ground and just narrowly dodging the attack. We both looked up, seeing the Scyther on a nearby tree, its bladed claw stuck on the bark.

"Go, Ponyta!"

I released my Pokemon, his blue flames illuminating the area. When Scyther saw him, the Pokemon let out another savage cry, working up enough force to pull its claw from the tree. Taking to the air, the Scyther prepared to take a dive at Ponyta.

"Ponyta, use Flame Wheel!"

Cloaking himself in flames, Ponyta stood his ground as the Scyther charged, blades first. However, the combination of heat and fire radiating from my Pokemon caused the Scyther to back away momentarily.

"Ponyta, now!"

My Pokemon took off at a sprint, closing the distance between himself and Scyther. He crashed into the bug Pokemon, engulfing Scyther in flames and trampling it in the process. Ponyta circled back to me, and I took a couple steps forward. Scyther was trying to get up, but he was badly burned on top of beat down from the attack. I took out a Pokeball from my bag and threw it at him. Scyther was sucked into the device, and it landed on the ground.

"Wow! You caught it!" Kati yelled.

"Piece of cake!" I said smugly. However, that victory had been premature.

The Pokeball on the ground began to shake. This was normal, but the device continued to shake for several seconds. And each time, the shaking became more and more violent. Finally, when I thought it would stop, the Pokeball exploded and out came the Scyther. With another piercing cry it took to the sky, its body covered in burns and bruises. It looked at Kati and I, a fire in its eyes I hadn't seen before. Both claws extended, it took another dive at us.

"Ponyta, Flame Charge!"

In the moment the Scyther was about to cut into us, Ponyta sacked the Scyther clean out of the air with another powerful bashing attack. The combination of Ponyta's weight behind the tackle and the flames surrounding her caused a small explosion that sent the Scyther flying towards a tree. It crashed into it, breaking the tree nearly in two. After being stuck there for a moment, the Pokemon fell down. It wasn't moving anymore. Cautiously, I took a few steps forward. But no matter how close I got, it wouldn't move anymore.

"Mia? Is it dead?" Kati asked.

Before answering, I got close enough to tap it with my foot. And when I did, it didn't respond. Again I kicked at it, but it didn't move.

"I think it is..."

* * *

We were on our way back to the Cafe Cabin.

"What do you think happened to it?" I wondered aloud.

"Huh? You beat it up so bad it died, silly."

"No, I mean what made it attack like that. I've never seen a Pokemon get that way before."

"Who knows? But at least now we can tell the boss it's gone. And I'm pretty sure the rest of the Pokemon in the forest and around these parts will be happy it is." Kati pointed out.

"But it wasn't the only Scyther around here. What if the same thing happens to more of them?"

Kati shrugged. "Guess we'll deal with it when it happens. If it happens."

She had a point. I figured the only persons capable of figuring this mystery out were professors, like Professor Rowan. In fact, that was probably the best bet. Unfortunately, I had no way of contacting him; but I did know of someone who probably could. I began to type a message into my Poketch.

"What are you writing?"

"Just something to a friend." I said. After sending it off, I remembered what we had been talking about just before the Scyther attacked.

"So, why did you want to move to Kalos? You never shared."

Having brought the subject back up, I noticed Kati begin to fidget a bit. "Promise you won't laugh?"

I shook my head in response.

"I promise. So...?"

"I want to be an actress."

A smile formed on my face. And while Kati seemed to steel herself for a laugh, all I did was throw my arm around her back.

"I'm sure you'll become world famous!"

* * *

 _To: Kaitlin_

 _If you have the chance, could you stop by Professor Rowan's lab in Sandgem Town for me? I need to get in touch with him about something I saw on Route 210. And also, how are you doing?_

* * *

Route 215 now lay between me and Veilstone City. I had less than four hours of sunlight left before I'd have to set up camp, and it looked like it would start raining at any moment. The worst part? I didn't have an umbrella. If it did start raining, I'd have no choice but to find somewhere to wait out the storm.

But even if I wanted to run through the muddy road, it seems the place was prone to rain. Lots of places had become so flooded by rainfall that I had no choice but to walk around it. It was either that or have muddy water reach up to my chest. The little kid in me didn't care, but the trainer in me knew that would feel really icky before long.

I wasn't able to march for more than an hour before I heard the first sounds of thunder in the sky. Part of Route 215 was on hills, and they were connected by suspended bridges. And since I was still a couple hours away from Veilstone, I found the first suspended bridge I could and took shelter. When the rain began, however, I realized the plants of the bridge wouldn't be that useful in keeping me dry. Before long, I found myself running through the rain, kicking up mud and getting filthy in the process.

"Over here!" I heard someone call out to me. Trying my best to see through the torrential rain, I saw a campfire off to a corner of the beaten path. I double timed it there, relieved to find that the person in question had set up a tarp to keep dry.

"Thanks, I was afraid I'd have to run all the way to town in this storm." I told them, wiping the excess water from my face and hair best I could.

"Never prepared for anything, are you?"

"What the heck are you talking-"

I suddenly recognized the voice. Sitting on the other side of the campfire, clad in her purple jumpsuit same as before was Rachael, the first trainer I met on the road.

"This is the second time I show up to save you from something." She noted.

"Well, rain is hardly worth the rescue," I said. Now that I could see better, I took note of the state of my clothes. Seems I had kicked up more mud than I thought, and not only were my shoes and socks caked in mud, but so were most my legs and skirt.

"Do you want to borrow a towel to dry off? After you wash off some of that mud, of course."

"Thanks," I said, handing Rachael my bag. It was mostly waterproof, but even in this rain I was certain some of the stuff inside had gotten wet. "Could you get me something to wear out of there? And my sleeping bag, so it can dry off if it got wet.

As Rachael got to it, I removed my shoes and socks first, reaching out of the coverage of Rachael's tarp to let the rain rinse the mud off them. Putting them by the fire to dry off, I stepped out into the rain myself to let it rinse off the rest of my outfit. After a quick soak, I stepped back under the tarp where Rachael had that towel and a change of clothes ready for me. As she held out the towel as a screen for me, I changed out of everything and then wrapped myself up in it. Rachael was nice enough to turn around, giving me a bit of privacy to get dressed again. Once all of it was laid out to dry by the fire, I took a seat next to her.

"It's been a while," she said. "I sent you a message about a week ago, when you first showed up on this side of Mt. Coronet."

"Yeah, how did you know that?"

"I told you. I'm psychic." She repeated one of the first things she ever said to me all those weeks ago.

"Sorry I never answered. I kinda forget to while I'm traveling." I chuckled, my tongue out for emphasis.

"It's okay. I knew you were doing well. Again, psychic." She pointed to her temple a couple times.

"I get it. So what are you doing out this way?"

"Traveling. I just came from Veilstone City."

"That's where I'm headed! My dad works there, so I'm going to pay him a visit."

"That's nice. Going to stay there long?"

I shook my head. "Of course not! There's a gym in the city, so I'll get my next badge and then move on!"

"Oh right, you were going to collect those. How many you got now?"

"I thought you said you were a psychic?" I smirked.

Rachael put her hands to her temple before answering, "Two. So this would be your third?"

"Okay, how did you do that?"

"Your bag. Your ID is on the outside, silly."

I sighed. Oftentimes I'd forget that there was a slot on the outer flap for my ID, and since I'd been pinning my badges to it, anyone could see how many I had.

"Do you really think you'll make it in time?" Rachael asked.

"For the tournament? I think so. Well, I don't even know what day it is half the time."

"It's already April. The second, actually."

In one more day, it will have been an entire month since I set out. And yet it certainly didn't feel like it. But what Rachael said was true; the tournament was held at the end of May, just before the beginning of Summer. It had taken me a whole month to collect just two badges- three if I managed to beat the Veilstone City Gym the next morning. It'd be close, but I was certain I could pull it off.

"So you think you'll make it?" Rachael asked again.

"I think so. And if I don't, that's okay. I can always come back at the end of Summer to try then."

"Come back? Where are you going?"

"Well, there are other regions for me to explore!" I smiled. "I was thinking of going to Kanto or Johto, but I'm still not sure."

"I don't think things are getting any better down there. The Champion is still missing, you know."

"I don't. I never got that app you told me about for my Poketch." It was a wonder I even remembered about it now that I was talking to her. But I did recall the reason why I left Jubilife in a hurry.

"You really are hopeless. Give me your Poketch."

I removed the device from my left wrist as instructed and passed it along to Rachael. She began to poke at her own and then at mine.

"They added another app that lets you share apps now with people you meet. I guess people like you that always forget to check for new stuff complained enough."

I shrugged. "Works for me. So not even Cynthia has said anything?"

"No. That woman knows how to keep her mouth shut. I wish I could read HER mind."

I was about to share what I had seen back in Celestic Town, but kept quiet. Cynthia had warned me, and I just knew if word began to spread she'd trace it back to me. I had given her my name, and she knew what I looked like. Plus, I was sure it wouldn't be hard for the Champion to use the League to track down a single trainer.

"All done. Now you can hear the news on your Poketch. I even added the Compass app you wanted the last time we met." Rachael passed me back my Poketch. Sure enough, I now saw icons for the Compass and Radio.

"Thanks! What would I do without you?"

"Nothing, I suppose. It's a shame it's raining, otherwise I'd challenge you to a battle."

"Really? I mean, we could battle anyway! I still have plenty of spare clothes!" I said, suddenly feeling pumped for a battle.

"I don't. Plus, it's almost time to eat something, don't you think?"

At that very moment, I heard my stomach growl, as did Rachael's. I hadn't eaten anything since just after getting back to the Cafe Cabin, and that had been a few hours back. It didn't sound like a lot of time, but when you were constantly walking all over the place you would work up an appetite.

"Yeah. I have a couple sandwiches there. It's kinda what I've been eating ever since I learned how to make them from a friend."

"Thanks, but I have something a bit more filling in mind."

That something turned out to be a soup; with all the fixings! Having just departed from Veilstone City, Rachael's bag was packed with fresh cooking ingredients. She'd even bought a disposable pot to toss it all into. While I didn't have anything to contribute to the main course, I did offer my last two drinks (having to sacrifice the Lemonade to her and ending up with Spring Water for myself). I watched as Rachael cooked, but that was a bit of an overstatement. There wasn't much to what she was making, just stir and serve when everything looked cooked. All the same, it tasted superb compared to the sandwiches I'd been eating.

"Thanks for the food!" I told her, attacking at my bowl as soon as it was served.

"You're welcome. Doesn't look like it'll stop raining any time soon. We might just have to camp out here all night."

"Yeah. That sucks." I sighed.

"Maybe tomorrow it'll stop raining enough to leave bright and early. Why don't you have an umbrella?" Rachael asked.

"Why don't you?" I asked back.

She sighed, and I did the same. Guess neither of us could complain about forgetting something so simple. Then again, it was hardly at the top of my list when I left on my journey. Certainly not as important as spare Pokeballs or clothes.

"Reminds me, I need to buy stuff when I get to Veilstone City. I think the last Pokeball I had was destroyed earlier."

"Destroyed?"

"Long story..."

I shared the day's events with Rachael, starting with the Scyther incident and moving on to my Pokemon training with Grandma Wilma further up the road. Rachael was especially interested in that part, since Draco Meteor was clearly unknown to her as a skill. And while I would have shown it off in a battle against her, I knew that poor Gible would have been exhausted by using the move. As we moved on to different topics of conversation however we kind of forgot about the move altogether.

And that's how the day winded down for us. The rain kept on until late into the night, so we eventually just settled in until the morning. Somewhere along the course of the night, I received a reply from Kaitlin.

* * *

 _From Kaitlin:_

 _You have perfect timing, you know? I was IN Sandgem Town when I got your message. I told Professor Rowan, and he said to call him tomorrow from the nearest Pokemon Center. Ask the Nurse Joy for the number. Hope to run into you on the road soon!_


	15. The Gray City

The Gray City, Chapter XV

* * *

By the next morning, the rain still hadn't let up. Rachael and I figured we'd have no choice but to press on in the rain, risking both colds and ruined outfits rather than wait it out. For starters, we had breakfast (this time my treat, borrowing some of Rachael's fresh ingredients) and then cleaned up our little campsite. Fortunately, just as we were about to head out under the rain, the sky began to clear up and the rain slowly but surely stopped.

"Lucky," I said, "but I wonder why it rains so much on this road? I haven't seen it rain like this anywhere else."

"Veilstone City is a lot like this," Rachael pointed out. And she was right, according to my dad.

"Yeah, Dad did say it rained a lot there." Whenever he'd visit us back in Eterna City, he'd often mention of the long, rainy days he had to suffer. Even if his job was in an office building, the rain would darken the days and make everything at his job really gloomy.

"It was fun seeing you again, Mia." Rachael extended her hand.

"Huh?"

"I'm going to Route 210 from here. So I'm saying good-bye?"

"Oh, no! You're not getting away that easy!"

"What are you talking about?" She asked, taking back her hand.

"The rain's stopped. You and me are going to have a Pokemon battle!" I reached into my bag, pulling out Gible's Pokeball. Rachael sighed, but her lips curled up into a smirk as she caused one of the Pokeballs on her waist to float up into her hand. Amazed as I was to see actual telekinesis, I darted over to the middle of the path to prepare for the battle.

I released Gible, and she released her first Pokemon. I expected her Psyduck, which was the only Pokemon I had seen her use back when we met in Eterna Forest. However, what came out was the blue duck that Psyduck evolved into. Immediately I pulled out my Pokedex to scan it.

"Golduck, the Duck Pokemon. The flippers of its well-developed limbs give it shocking speed. It is the best swimmer among Pokemon."

"Wow! So your Psyduck evolved already?" I asked.

"Yup. It took a lot of hard work. I see your Gible hasn't evolved yet."

"Well, dragons take a lot longer to train! It's what makes them so special and strong!" I called back with a sense of pride.

"Alright, let's battle until one of us yields. Fair?"

"Fair!" I agreed, before taking a battle stance of my own.

"Gible, start with Dragon Rage!"

"Golduck, Screech!"

My small purple dragon hopped closer to Rachael's Pokemon, his massive mouth open and ready to spray the dark flames and smoke of his attack. However, Golduck opened its flat beak first, releasing a piercing shriek that disrupted Gible's attack, and even caused me to cover my ears.

"Golduck, Water Pulse!"

Taking advantage of Gible's temporary stagger, Golduck blasted him with a torrent of water, knocking my Pokemon back a ways.

"Gible, Dragon Rage!"

"Golduck, Disable!"

Shrugging off the attack he'd just received, Gible opened his mouth again to use his attack. This time, Golduck's eyes began to glow, and the blue duck moved his arms around as if manipulating something invisible in the air. Gible then began to cough up small bits of dark flames, as if they were caught in his throat. That was the power of a Psychic type Pokemon; I'd have to change up tactics if I wanted to win.

"Gible, try Take Down!"

"Golduck, Confusion!"

Gible began to charge his opponent, but as he closed the distance Golduck's eyes began to glow again. Right as Gible was about to lurch at Golduck, his trajectory shifted just slightly, causing him to miss Golduck and crash into the mud nearby.

"Golduck, Fury Swipes!"

Not missing a beat, the blue Pokemon brandished the small claws it had and began to slash at Gible's back at blinding speed. Gible cried out as it happened, but did not move to escape it. Which worked for me.

"Gible, Sand Tomb!"

Now that Golduck was standing on top of mud like my Pokemon, Gible was able to dig into it enough to trap Golduck. Spinning around Golduck faster than it had been slashing away prior, Gible trapped the blue duck in a miniature storm of mud and bits of grass.

"Now, Take Down!"

"Golduck, Aqua Tail!"

Just as Gible was about to slam into Golduck, the Pokemon spun around and slapped Gible so hard he went flying away from the mud storm and back towards me. The Sand Tomb attack dissipated, and Golduck stepped back out of it without much damage sustained. Meanwhile, Gible was looking for than a bit beat up. Much as I wanted to keep going...

"Gible, return." I put him back in his Pokeball, avoiding his gaze as I did. Much as I didn't like admitting defeat, he disliked quitting more.

"Not a bad fight," Rachael said. "I almost expected you to try out that new meteor skill on us."

As a matter of fact, that was my next idea. But Gible had already taken plenty of damage, and I knew that the minute he tried to pull it off Golduck would simply use Screech or Water Pulse to interrupt it. Or worse, Confusion to mess up the attack somehow and cause it to strike Gible himself. And the sad part was such an attack directed on him would probably knock him out completely, if not do more serious, lasting damage. Rachael was a tough opponent because of her Psychic types, so I'd have to be careful which Pokemon to use next.

"One more?" I asked.

"Sure. As many as you want. I'll be changing my Pokemon, since Golduck's probably tired."

He certainly didn't look it, but Rachael knew her critters better than me. She put her Pokemon away, and prepared another Pokeball. Figuring she'd go for another Psychic type, I went with Dustox to have a clear advantage. However, the next Pokemon she produced was unexpected. The dark, purple body it had was slightly transparent, allowing me to see past the Pokemon. I knew it from countless hours of Pokemon programming on TV, but still I scanned it.

"Haunter, the Gas Pokemon. It can slip through any obstacle. It lurks inside walls to keep an eye on its foes."

"Crap, a ghost? Don't tell me you caught this back at the mansion in Eterna Forest?"

Rachael nodded. "As a Gastly. You could have caught one if you hadn't run away, you know."

Memories of that sad display on my first day flashed through my mind, but I shrugged them off and prepared for battle. I didn't have the advantage I wanted, but I was certain Dustox could take this Pokemon.

"Dustox, use Gust!"

"Haunter, Sucker Punch!"

My bug took to the air, preparing to whip up a small blast of air. However, one of Haunter's detached limbs flew up out of no where and socked my Pokemon square in the face. Dustox came crashing down to the ground, left a bit dizzy from the unexpected attack.

"Dustox! Get back up there, quick!"

"Haunter, Shadow Ball!"

As Dustox struggled to gain lift, Haunter's hands cupped together to form a dark energy ball that he threw with all the strength and accuracy as a professional pitcher. It struck Dustox head on, keeping my Pokemon grounded. I found myself panicking and unsure what to do.

"Haunter, Lick him!"

Rachael's Ghost Pokemon vanished from sight for a moment, and then reappeared next to Dustox, its large pink tongue extended. The rather nasty attack caused Dustox to become paralyzed with fear (or something), and left me with even less of an idea of what to do.

"Wait!" I called out.

"Huh? For what?" Rachael asked.

I pulled out Dustox's Pokeball and called him back. With a heavy heart, I announced my defeat. "You win."

Rachael couldn't help but look smug as she accepted my surrender.

When her Pokemon was safely back in its Pokeball, she joined up with me on the road with an item in her hand. It turned out to be a Paralyze Heal.

"For Dustox," she said, handing it to me.

"Thanks. And this is for you." I gave her some of my hard-earned money, as per the rules.

"Thanks. I was going to let you keep this, but that Paralyze Heal wasn't free. And neither was last night's dinner."

"Okay, you don't have to rub it in..."

"You're not a bad trainer," she said as she pocketed her earnings. "But you really need to learn how to deal with Pokemon that can keep you away from them. Psychic types, mainly."

It's odd, I don't think that was the first time I was told by someone that I wasn't a "bad trainer". Was it just some way of being nice to the loser? I don't think it made me feel any better about having lost. And the fact that Rachael had defeated both my Pokemon deftly only made the sting of losing all the worse. But I held my head high and smiled at Rachael.

"Yeah. Maybe what I need is a Psychic type of my own?"

"They're not easy to control," Rachael pointed out. "If dragons take the longest to train, Psychic Pokemon take the most work to master. That's probably why most trainers don't use them on their teams."

Of course, I was determined to prove her wrong on that. I didn't know when I'd find a Psychic type to capture, but it was part of my training to become a Master. If not of all Pokemon, at least of a few key types. Dragons, primarily; Grandma Wilma's offer still resonated strongly in my mind.

"I'll keep in touch, okay?" I told Rachael, now ready to move on and leave my loss as a memory.

"Listen," she said, her expression darkening. "Be careful in Veilstone City."

"Huh? Why?"

"Have you heard of Team Galactic?"

Of course I had. "Yeah, why?"

"Veilstone City is their HQ."

My jaw dropped at the information. Without saying anything else, I darted off in the direction of the city. I heard Rachael calling out to me, but I honestly blocked her out as I cut through what was left of Route 215.

Dad lived in Veilstone City. And while he was hardly helpless as a person, the knowledge that Cyrus was probably prowling the city had me running as fast and hard as I could. Was this knowledge public? Or were they hiding somewhere in the city? Suddenly I wished I had gotten more information out of Rachael, but it was too late to turn back now. I pushed myself even harder, all the while praying nothing terrible happened until I got there.

* * *

From Rachael:

Why did you leave like that? Don't mess with Team Galactic, okay? You don't want to get on their bad side. Just leave the city as quickly as you can.

* * *

Thanks to my mad sprint across Route 215, I arrived at Veilstone City's outskirts just before noon. I was out of breath by that point, and drenched in sweat, so one of the first things I wanted to do was take a shower. However, my mind was still on Team Galactic's whereabouts. Thankfully, that didn't take long to answer. Or was it an unfortunate turn of events?

Situated high above the rest of the city was a colossal building. Not only was it the tallest building in the city I could see, but it was also standing on elevated ground. And plastered on the front of the building for all to see was the same stylized "G" that adorned the outfits of the grunts I had faced back in Verity Lake. They weren't even trying to hide it; Veilstone City was their headquarters.

But aside from that, everything was normal. Maybe it's because they had their building towering above the city, I expected Galactic grunts patrolling the city like a police force. Instead, all I saw were normal people going about their daily routines. Trainers with Pokemon walking happily through the streets, grown-ups in business suits walking here and there. It was all painfully... normal.

Did they not care?

"Excuse me," I asked the first person in a suit to cross my path. The man looked down at me.

"Yes, young lady?"

"That building up there," I said, pointing to the Galactic HQ, "what is it?"

"Galactic Headquarters." He answered without hesitation.

"Like Team Galactic? The people who have been all over the news recently?"

The man nodded. "Yes."

"And that doesn't scare you? Worry you?"

But he simply shook his head. "They're just researching legendary Pokemon. I don't think it's a good use of company resources, but if that's what their CEO wants, who are we to judge?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "And what if they catch a super powerful legendary Pokemon? What if they try to take over the world with it?!"

This time, he chuckled!

"There's nothing to worry about, young lady. They aren't Team Rocket, you know."

The man waved farewell and kept walking. And again I found myself with my jaw practically on the ground. Was this just always like this? Was it like this back when it was revealed that Giovanni, the Gym Leader from Viridian City in Kanto, was actually the head of Team Rocket? It couldn't be. Cyrus and Team Galactic had to be spreading false rumors and propaganda to keep from being shut down on the spot. The police station had to be my first stop.

After asking around, I found the station. And again I was forced to stop dead in my tracks. A ways off, before I even approached the building, I noticed someone standing by the entrance. Dressed in same drab gray uniforms I'd seen at Verity Lake was another Galactic grunt. People were still going in and out of the police station, including a female officer who even greeted the grunt on her way in. Was Team Galactic working with the police? Was that why they could get away with what they'd done so far? Naturally upon seeing this I backed away from my idea to report them. Never mind the fact that other trainers and even people living in the city had probably already done the same.

After wandering the city a bit, I found myself at the Pokemon Center. Aside from the Team Galactic insanity, there was also the matter of talking to Professor Rowan about the crazed Scyther on Route 210. I dropped my Pokemon off with the Nurse Joy, and then asked her about contacting the professor.

"So he's expecting your call?" She asked me.

"Yeah. Do a lot of people call him?" I asked back.

"Not always, but because he's such a busy man he has informed us not to always share that contact information." She reached into a desk drawer just behind her counter, and pulled out a contact card with a number printed on the back. The front of the card was blank, however.

"But you didn't hear that from me." Nurse Joy added with a wink.

Taking the card to the nearby public phone, I punched in the number on it and waited for it to connect to Rowan's office. After a couple rings, the screen switched on and I was looking at him again. His striking mustache was unforgettable, so I knew right away it was him.

"Hello? Professor?"

"Miss Caelum, correct? How are you this afternoon?" He smiled, but it seemed to be a bit forced as if I'd just interrupted him.

"I'm fine, sir. I hope I'm not bothering you..."

"Not at all. I was informed by a friend of yours you needed to contact me. A problem with the Pokedex?"

"No, sir. Actually, it's about a Pokemon I saw in the wild just yesterday."

"Oh? Something rare?"

I shook my head one more time. "No, but it was acting very strangely."

I quickly gave him a recount of what had happened with the Scyther, as well as the fact it had been terrorizing the route for the past couple weeks. As I told the story, I wasn't sure what the point of all this was. It wasn't like the professor could just go off on an expedition to examine the corpse of the Scyther. Just as I was beginning to lament killing the Pokemon...

"This isn't the first time I've been informed of something like this." He said, stroking his mustache.

"It isn't? There've been other Pokemon acting like this?"

"Not quite as far as Route 210, though..."

"Do you know what's causing it?"

"Unfortunately no. Miss Caelum, I'm going to tell you what I've told every other person who has reported this: do not engage these Pokemon. While I understand your desire to help anyone these Pokemon are harassing, only make sure everyone is safe. My assistants are investigating the matter as we speak. And of course, dead Pokemon can't tell us anything."

"Yes, sir." Now I was definitely sad I'd killed the Scyther, even if it hadn't been on purpose.

"I've got to go. Before you depart, be sure to update your Pokedex. Ask Nurse Joy for help with that matter. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Good-bye."

The screen switched off, and the line went dead. He really was to the point. But more importantly, if he didn't know what was going on, then it wasn't likely I'd figure it out. After hanging up the phone, I went back to see Nurse Joy. She took my Pokedex and updated it using the computer behind the counter. As I checked what was new on it, she also returned my Pokemon, now refreshed and ready to keep battling. Like Grandma Wilma had said: the biggest update to the device was the addition of the Fairy type, bringing the total to 18 now.

My next stop was going to be the Pokemon Gym. Finding it wasn't that difficult, and when I did I realized there was quite a crowd formed outside it. Not bothering to ask around this time, I squeezed through the crowd to see the entrance with my own eyes. There was a sign posted on the door:

VEILSTONE GYM CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

"What the...?"

"It's been like this for days," a boy standing nearby informed me.

"Yeah. I heard the Gym Leader was fired." Another boy added.

"I heard it was Team Galactic's fault," a nearby girl said. "Maybe they were getting in the way."

"So why is everyone here?" I asked this time.

"I called the Pokemon League, they said a replacement Gym Leader was on the way." One of the boys spoke up.

"Yeah, they said that like three days ago."

"I don't like waiting around here, but it'll take me forever to come back to this stupid city if I don't leave without that badge."

"Hey, don't you call this city stupid!"

I noticed this was about to get ugly, so I excused myself from the crowd and small group of trainers who began to quarrel. I was in total agreement; if I left Veilstone City without the badge, I'd have to leave it for the return trip to Sunyshore City. Even if I got the badge from there now, I'd have to travel north from there to reach the Pokemon League. Whether or not the disappearance of the Gym Leader was caused by Team Galactic, I found myself blaming them for these issues. With nothing else to do, I sent out a message to Mom.

* * *

To Mom:

I need Dad's address. I'm in Veilstone City, but I think I'm going to have to stay here a while until a new Gym Leader shows up.

* * *

Thankfully, it wasn't long until I got a response from her with the address. With that in hand, I asked a local to point me in the right direction, and I set off for my Dad's apartment.

* * *

Because Dad worked until late, I found myself napping in the lobby of his apartment building until he arrived. Normally I wasn't one for naps, especially not since I set out on this adventure. But with nothing else to do I seemed to have knocked out quite easily. It was dark by the time I felt someone waking me up. After opening my eyes, I saw my dad's smiling face looking down at me.

"Daddy!" I immediately threw my arms around him.

"Heya, sweet pea. It's so great to see you again!" He hugged me back with almost the same amount of force.

"I'm sorry I didn't see you the last time you went home."

"It's okay. You were on your journey, right? I want you to tell me all about it!"

Now that he was here, I was finally allowed past the doorman and into the elevator. Dad's room was on the fourth floor, which was quite low compared to our apartment back in Eterna City. On top of that, his apartment was tiny compared to the one in Eterna City. That much was reasonable, as he was the only one living there. A tiny kitchen and living area, with a single bedroom and bath. Mom had always said we couldn't all visit him in Veilstone because of how small his place was, and now I believed it.

"If I had known you'd be visiting, I would have taken the afternoon off." He said once we'd gotten settled in.

"It's okay. I didn't think I'd be waiting for you for so long." I quickly told him what happened at the gym.

"I'm sorry, sweet pea. Unfortunately what they said was true."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"The former Gym Leader had been causing problems for the company. Things got a bit out of hand, and before we knew it the League had sent someone down to take care of it."

"So it wasn't Team Galactic's fault?"

Dad seemed a bit hesitant to answer. When I noticed this, I looked past him to the small table in the corner by the kitchen. He'd left all his work things on it, so I jumped off the couch and ran to it. Keys, passes to the building where he worked, pens; and his ID badge for the office. Next to his picture was a symbol, the same symbol I'd seen at the top of the tallest building in Veilstone City.

"You work for them...?!" I turned around to face him, his badge still in my hands.

"Sweet pea, I can explain."

"Dad! Do you know what they're doing?! What that man Cyrus wants to do?!" I was screaming at this point, a combination of shock, disbelief and outright anger.

"Mia, calm down," he said, not raising his voice to match mine.

"Dad, that man is capturing Pokemon from the lakes to-"

"Mia!" He snapped. I went silent immediately, feeling tears in the corner of my eyes.

"Sit down. I'll explain everything."

I did as I was told and sat down next to him on his small couch.

"Yes, I work for Galactic, Inc. I have since long before you were born, sweet pea."

Hearing his pet name for me, I felt the betrayal sting harder than ever before. "B-But...? Why, Daddy?"

"The company is not what it used to be. It's Cyrus; ever since he took over, things have been messed up at work. Remember when you were little I would visit a lot more?"

I nodded. When he first got the transfer to Veilstone City, Dad would visit every weekend without fail. However, a couple years later he started visiting every other weekend. And now even that seemed to be difficult for him to manage.

"It's his fault?"

"Yeah. He has us working on something big, but no one really knows what it is. The company has changed so much..."

"So why don't you quit?" I asked. "You're a really good worker, right? You can get a different job?"

Dad smiled and stroked my face the way he always would whenever he was about to correct me. "Unfortunately, sweet pea, this job is too good to just quit. You're old enough now to know about how to look after money, but trust me when I say what I earn working here is way too much to pass up."

"Even if you're working for an evil man?" I pointed out.

"Cyrus might have his own agenda, but it's not fair to call him evil just like that."

"How can you say that? You know everything he's done, don't you?"

"But he won't always be in charge. Galactic Inc. has been around a lot longer than him, and the day will come when he slips up and he's no longer in charge."

Dad elaborated on that part. Galactic Inc. was no different from Silph Co. in Kanto or Devon Corp in Hoenn. All three were competing businesses on the mainland, except Galactic Inc. hadn't been able to achieve the same level of success as the other two. So over the last decade, they instead focused on astrological research, especially since Veilstone City was famous throughout the mainland for its collection of meteorites. In fact, Clefairy or other Pokemon known to evolve with Moonstones have been reported to evolve in the city after touching the meteorites.

"I know it'll be difficult, but just leave Team Galactic and this Cyrus person to the Pokemon League. They'll deal with him when they're ready. Trust me."

I did trust him. He was my dad, after all. I was still finding it difficult to swallow the fact that he was not only working under Cyrus, but also intended to continue working under him. I guess his reasoning was something I couldn't understand at my age. That felt like the mature thing to admit, if only to myself.

"But enough serious talk. How about we get something to eat?" He smiled at me, as if everything was right again between us. And to some extent, it was. But...

"Dad, can you tell me what he has you doing? Something about those legendary Pokemon, right?"

Surely nothing bad would happen if he let slip some details regarding Cyrus' plans. His smile remained, but he wasn't about to give me the answers I wanted.

"Sorry, sweet pea. But I can't. Not only is it against the rules, but I'm under strict orders from someone I can't disobey."

"You mean Cyrus?" I sulked.

But Dad shook his head. "Cynthia. The Sinnoh Champion."


	16. Adventures in Veilstone City

Adventures in Veilstone City, Chapter XVI

* * *

Cynthia hadn't forgotten about me. I expected her to track me down for some reason, but not for this one. Thanks to her connection with the Pokemon League, she had tracked down my dad and told him to keep his mouth shut about what he was doing at Galactic HQ. For the first time ever I truly appreciated how in control she was.

Not long after my royal screw up in Celestic Town, Cynthia had contacted Dad directly at Galactic HQ. She told him how I messed up the talks with Cyrus, and if I came around snooping to stop me at all costs. If that was beyond his power, he was to contact Cynthia immediately so she could put a stop to me. That part scared me a bit, since it suddenly painted me like the criminal, and not Cyrus. But after he told me that, I promised him I wouldn't go poking my nose around Galactic HQ or anywhere else they were stationed. After all, Dad lived in Veilstone City, so he knew just about all there was to know about Team Galactic's plans within it.

The following morning was a weekday, so by the time I woke up Dad had long since departed for work. He left me a spare key to his place, and had informed the doorman that I was free to come and go. Until the new Gym Leader arrived, I would be staying there with him. Unless the days turned to weeks, in which case I'd set out again and return. After all, I was still on the clock myself. It was already April, and with only two badges I wasn't even close to being ready for the League Tournament in May.

However, all that was in the back of my mind for now. Veilstone City was a large place, and there was certainly tons to do. Starting with the Department Store! Dad had even left me spending money in case there was anything I wanted. To my amusement, he suggested buying clothes for the road and to stop using my school uniform. According to him...

"Those outfits are expensive, sweet pea. I know you like using them for your travels but... please consider something else?"

A spare outfit or two wouldn't be a bad idea, but I certainly didn't intend to stop using my uniforms. More important than that were trainer supplies, so once I was at the Department Store I made a beeline for the Trainer's Market, which just so happened to be on the first floor. Basket in hand, I stocked up on Pokeballs and Potions alike. Battles had been getting a bit harder, so it wouldn't hurt to have a quick means of healing up my critters on the road. Between wild Pokemon encounters and constant trainers asking for matches, I'd cycle through my team quick, exhausting them all before lunch time often. A Potion wasn't a replacement for true rest, but it would certainly help.

As I was scanning the shelf of various other healing items, I felt someone bump into me from the side.

"Oof! I'm sorry!" It was a girl, about my age, her brown hair in a ponytail limp over her left shoulder.

"It's okay," I told her, but her gaze shifted elsewhere even as I spoke. "Are you looking for something?"

"Yes! I can't find my Pokemon!"

"Did he get away?"

She nodded. "I told him to stay put, but when I looked over my shoulder he was gone! I can't find him!"

Why some trainers allowed their Pokemon to wander around outside their Pokeballs I couldn't tell you. In my opinion, all that did was give bad people a better chance at stealing your Pokemon, and that was becoming a very common problem nowadays. So while I wanted to shrug her off and tell myself it was her fault to begin with, I could tell from the look in her eyes she was really panicked. And before I knew it...

"What kind of Pokemon is he? I can help you look."

"He's a Pikachu! He was right there just a minute ago!"

She pointed towards the exit, so I figured she had told the Pokemon to wait by the door. Even that felt like it was making it too easy for a Poke-napper.

"And you're sure he's not somewhere in the store?"

The girl shook her head. "No! I've already looked all around this floor twice!"

In truth, I hadn't noticed a Pokemon by the exit when I came in. Then again, I hadn't been looking for one, either. And I certainly hadn't seen any Pokemon running loose in the store, nor had I accidentally stepped on one as I shopped.

"Do you think he might've gone up to one of the other floors?" It was a stretch, but not impossible.

"I don't know...!" She replied.

"Look, the register is by the exit. Why don't you check upstairs right quick, and I'll pay for my stuff and keep an eye out here. If he's not in the store, I'll help you look around outside."

The girl agreed without a second thought, and darted up the staircase nearby. It was the fact that she looked so distressed that I had offered to help. After all, while I would never allow my Pokemon to run free like that in a store, I would probably be acting much the same way if any of my Pokemon suddenly went missing. So true to my word I kept a constant vigil on the exit, turning away only when I had to pay the employee ringing me up. A short while after, the girl returned from the higher floors, gasping for breath as she stopped in front of me.

"Anything?" I asked her.

"Someone says they saw a Pikachu running down the street from up on the fourth floor! He must've gotten outside!"

"Alright, let's hurry!"

Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I followed the girl out of the Department Store. Letting her lead the way, I had no problem keeping up with her, since she was already running much slower after hiking up and down several flights of stairs. Even after checking a few streets, we didn't see her Pikachu. She asked a couple passersby about the Pokemon, and most denied having seen one. Until finally one did.

"Yeah, I saw a Pikachu. Didn't think they lived around these parts." The man in the business suit said. For a moment, I thought it might have been the same one I'd spoken to the previous day.

"He's mine! I'm trying to find him!"

"Well, I saw him run down that street a few minutes ago. Better hurry if you want to catch up."

Thanking the man for the tip, we started down the street in question. However, after turning a corner we found ourselves at a dead end. The street turned into an alley with a brick wall at the end. There was a door there, but it didn't have a handle or knob to open it. And there wasn't anywhere for her Pikachu to hide, either.

"Do you think that guy gave us the wrong street?" I asked.

"Maybe... but he did say it was _this_ street. Can we open that door?" She tried to pull the door open by using her fingernails to get a grip on the metal latch that overlapped the frame. Of course, even if she could get a grip, chances were the door was locked from the inside.

"I don't think he could've gotten in there," I told her.

"Maybe it was open and he ran in? The door could have closed after."

"That's a lot of maybes. _Maybe_ he just didn't go down this street." I pointed out.

"Pikachu!" She screamed without warning, startling me a bit. "Pikachu, where are you?"

I was about to tell her not to do that, or at the very least to warn me before she did. However, one look at her face had me holding my tongue. If she was distressed at the store, panicked on the way, now she was clearly in utter despair. She called out the Pokemon's name a few more times, but of course there were no answers. Just the sound of her voice echoing in the morning in that alley. With a few deep breaths bordering on sobs, she leaned against a wall and slid down until she was seated.

"Pikachu..." She whispered, before she started crying outright.

"Oh geez..." I said to myself before kneeling down in front of her. "Hey, don't cry. It'll be okay."

"I can't... find him..." She managed between sobs. The girl was a right mess.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked, since it was only now that I realized I didn't know it.

"Abigail..."

"Okay, listen to me Abby," I said, using a nickname to try and calm her (for what it's worth), "I'll check inside that door for you. Maybe you're right, and Pikachu went in there, okay?"

She nodded, unable to speak anymore but clearly trying to get her crying under control. I took a step back and looked to the door. With a sigh, I approached it and knocked. I didn't expect to get an answer, but figured it the best start. And naturally, there was no answer. I had no clue where the door led, but chances were it was just some old warehouse or business's back exit. And without a way to pull the door open, I'd have to force it open in the opposite direction. With that in mind, I pulled out Ponyta's Pokeball.

"Alright, boy. Without making _too_ much noise, I want you to kick this door open." I instructed him.

Ponyta nodded, and reeled up his front legs when I suddenly yelled for him to stop.

" _Please!_ Quietly!" I reminded him. This was already probably illegal, so I didn't want to draw attention to us.

With an annoyed grunt (or so I figured), Ponyta took a few steps back from the door. I didn't say anything to him, since I wasn't sure what he was planning to do. Then he approached the door again, and lowered his head so that the blue flames on his head came into contact where the doorknob should have been. He remained there motionless, letting the flames heat that part of the door. After a few minutes, Ponyta let out a whinny, sparking the flames of his mane and finishing the job. When Ponyta backed off, there was a bright spot on the door where it was clearly still superheated.

Then in a flash, Ponyta reared up his front lets again and slammed into the door. With a loud thud, louder than I would have liked, the door was forced open. Both of us remained glued to the spot, hoping no one came rushing out the now open door to see what had caused it.

"Good job," I said, putting him back in his Pokeball. I looked back at Abigail, who still looked out of it.

"Guess it's up to me," I sighed, and then allowed myself into the building I'd just broken into.

I quickly learned it was just a warehouse, being eerily silent and poorly lit. While that had me on edge, at the same time I was able to muster enough courage to explore at a brisk pace. What I was looking for was a Pikachu, so if I didn't see one scurrying around I'd just head back the way I came and drag Abigail with me if she was still crying her eyes out. I turned a corner comprised of stacked wooden boxes, and was met with a light brighter than any other so far.

My first instinct was that I'd been caught by a security guard. However, once the glare died down, I realized the light was coming from a pair of cylindrical containers. Really there were three, but the one in the middle was turned off. What shocked me most was what was inside these containers!

They were Pokemon. Two similar but distinctly different Pokemon suspended in some kind of liquid. They both looked asleep, like lab experiments of some kind. Since there was no one around, I produced my Pokedex from my bag and scanned the first one.

"Azelf, the Willpower Pokemon. This Pokemon is said to have endowed humans with the determination needed to face any of life's difficulties."

I quickly turned the device to the next Pokemon.

"Mesprit, the Emotion Pokemon. This Pokemon is said to have endowed the human heart with emotions, such as sorrow and joy."

"Wait a minute... no way...!"

Azelf had slipped me but, but Mesprit was a name I recognized immediately. I'd only heard it a dozen times talking about the Pokemon with Kaitlin back at Verity Lake. I was standing face to face with two of the Lake Guardians! Which also meant I was standing right in the middle of a Team Galactic warehouse. Mesprit had been captured by them back when I was at Verity Lake; and Azelf being trapped next to him meant they already had two of the guardians. Forgetting everything else, I dug my Town Map out of my bag and scanned it over.

In the southwestern part of the region was Verity Lake, where Mesprit called home. We were currently in Veilstone City, and just south of it was Valor Lake. If I had to guess, that was probably where Azelf once lived. Meaning the only lake guardian left resided in Lake Acuity, just outside Snowpoint City. And if Team Galactic got their hands on it...

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt something nudge my leg. Startled, I looked down, seeing a small yellow Pokemon there. There was no mistaking this critter; it was a Pikachu, more precisely it was Abigail's Pikachu. I knelt down to look it in the eye.

"Hey there. Is your trainer's name Abigail?" I asked the yellow rodent. It nodded vigorously at the question as if to answer.

"Why'd you come out here? Abigail's been worried sick."

This time, the Pokemon answered by turning in the direction of one of the Lake Guardians trapped in a container. Specifically Azelf, the one with a blue forehead.

"Huh? Were you here to save them?"

Pikachu nodded, and then began to scratch at the container's base. A simple Thundershock would probably cause it to rupture and free the Pokemon, but I guess Pikachu hadn't considered that. Just as I was about to give the order myself, I heard a sound come from the other side of the warehouse. Quickly I swept Pikachu into my arms and darted back behind some boxes. Moments later, a couple Galactic Grunts appeared into my view.

"Coulda sworn I heard something," one of them said.

"Might've been a Rattata. I saw a couple the other day."

"Yeah, maybe." The first grunt looked at the containers. "Creepy, huh? These Pokemon are supposed to be super powerful.

"They're Pokemon. They can be the most powerful things in the world, but they still get caught like any other monster."

"Didn't you hear about what happened in Hoenn? They said Team Magma caused something huge to wake up inside Mt. Chimney, another legendary super Pokemon. But they couldn't catch it."

"One of those morons must've just dropped the ball. You heard of a Master Ball?"

The first grunt shook his head.

"It's an invention by some brainiac that can capture any Pokemon in the world. No matter what."

"Whoa! Where can I get one of those?"

"You can't, nimrod. They cost so much to make they're only manufactured for special purposes. I think our boss has one, but he hasn't used it to capture these Pokemon. I wonder why...?

"Actually, why are they in these tubes? Wouldn't it be easier to keep them in Pokeballs?"

"Don't know. But the boss said keep 'em here, so here they are. Boss says a lot of weird crap."

"I heard some of the higher-ups say he's crazy. Something about wanting to take over the world."

"Ha! If he thinks he can he really is crazy. That guy from Kanto in charge of Team Rocket tried, and where is he now? Gone. Vanished. Sent packing by a ten year-old! At least, that's what I heard."

"You're saying you can stop the boss if you had the chance?"

"I don't care about taking over the world. I'm just here for a paycheck. Come on, I'm tired. Let's go grab a bite."

With that, the two grunts left the scene. I could hear their voices as got further away, so when I could hardly hear them anymore I emerged from my hiding spot.

"Take over the world, huh? Not on my watch! Pikachu, Thundershock."

Following my command without question, the small yellow rodent began to emit electricity from its two pink cheeks. The attack caused the container's circuits to go haywire, and the glass surrounding the Pokemon Azelf shattered. I moved out of the way in time to avoid getting soaked by the water that came gushing out. Now free, Azelf regained consciousness and immediately took to the air, but was forced to stop when it ran into the ceiling. I had planned to try and capture it myself, but it was way out of range already. What's more, I heard the sound of the grunts running back towards me.

I wouldn't have enough time to order another attack on the remaining container; not without being seen by the grunts. So again I grabbed Pikachu and made my way back to the door I'd busted in from. Behind me, I could hear the grunts panicking about how Azelf had broken out of the container. When I made it back to the door, I looked up at the Pokemon. Moments later, it had managed to force its way out through a glass window in the ceiling. It wasn't much, but if Azelf could stay out of sight for a time, it would delay Team Galactic's plans for a while.

* * *

"Here, a soda pop. Just a small thank you for everything."

I received the sweet drink from Abigail with a smile. The girl's eyes were still puffy from all that crying, as well as from more crying when she finally got her Pikachu back. Now we were sitting on the roof of the Department Store, taking in the afternoon sun. After getting out of that warehouse, I dragged her all the way back to the Department Store, figuring a public place would throw off any suspicions that we had anything to do with the issue at the warehouse. On the way there, we saw more than a few Team Galactic grunts running around in a panic, all of them looking towards the sky. Word had gotten out really fast that Azelf had escaped. No doubt that same word would reach Cyrus before long.

Of course, I didn't mention anything about what I'd seen in the warehouse to Abigail. She had no reason to know, and it saved me a lot of trouble in explaining. All I had told her was that Pikachu had indeed snuck in, probably chasing a Rattata for some reason. She scolded the Pokemon in front of me, which caused me just a bit of guilt since it was over my little white lie. But Pikachu and I knew we'd done good by releasing Azelf in the first place. He took his scolding with great theatrics worthy of a prize.

"I'm sorry I was such a crybaby," Abigail added, a blush now prominent on her cheeks.

"It's okay. I would've been scared, too." I told her with a smile. "Just try and keep him in his Pokeball from now on."

"That's so weird, though! Pikachu had never done something like this. He's never liked being in a Pokeball, so we've always traveled side by side. It's not really that strange."

I couldn't argue with that. On my journey I'd seen a few trainers like that myself. If it's the Pokemon's preference and the trainer is fine with it, to each their own. I just thought the Pokemon would tire itself out more if it had to constantly walk or fly all over the place. Sometimes I wished I could be carried by someone from town to town.

With everything out of the way, I said my farewells to Abigail. While it was still early, I wanted to drop by the gym to see if the new leader had arrived. Unfortunately, there was still a crowd huddled by the entrance, many of the same faces waiting. So from there I went back to Dad's place, showing my key to the mean doorman so he'd let me through. Once I was back, I realized Dad had nothing in his tiny fridge to eat.

"If he's got nothing for snacking, there's also nothing for dinner. Does he just buy instant noodles and stuff every day?"

It wouldn't surprise me. Ruby, Seth, Lucas and myself were all fans of the instant stuff. It was only Mom and Iris that would chew us out for liking it so much. Something about it being unhealthy, but we didn't care. And now that I was constantly on the move I missed it, since you couldn't exactly prepare it without a microwave. Or at best a bot and hot water.

"Maybe I'll go back to the store and pick up some stuff. Yeah! I'll cook him something!"

The idea planted in my own mind, I immediately set out again, this time leaving my bag and Pokemon behind. While Team Galactic grunts were prowling the city now because of Azelf's escape, I figured not having any Pokemon on me would cause them to just ignore me. And that turned out to be the case. Dozens of grunts ran past me, and even one or two bumped into me directly. When they say I had nothing in the way of trainer goods, they would just excuse themselves and keep moving.

The Department Store had a basement level, and in it was a wide selection of fresh produce. While a traditional supermarket would have been better, I couldn't go around the city looking for one. Time was working against me it seemed, because by the time I finished buying things there the sun was already setting. If I wanted to have something ready for Dad by the time he got home, I'd have to run back and start cooking right away.

Another problem I ran into upon my return was what I'd actually make. It should come as no surprise that I'm not exactly talented in the culinary arts; that was Iris again. Of the three sisters, she was the most graceful and talented in the womanly arts, or so Seth put it one Christmas we were all together. He was rightly smacked in the head by Ruby for the comment, though Iris did thank him.

In the end, I drew on what Rachael had showed me two days prior. Using a small pot Dad had stored under the stove, I filled it with water and put it to boil. I tossed in almost every kind of vegetable I'd brought back, including a few berries meant for Pokemon. If they were good enough for them, they had to be good for humans, right? The smell coming from the pot wasn't as delectable as when Rachael had made it, but at least it didn't make me gag.

"I'm home," Dad announced shortly after the sun had set completely. "What is that smell...?"

"Welcome home!" I called out from the kitchen, which in reality was just a few feet away from the front door. "I'm making dinner!"

"You can cook?"

"Kinda...? It's just a soup, right? All you gotta do is throw a bunch of stuff in water and boil it?" Suddenly now that I had voiced my thoughts going in, I wasn't so sure anymore.

Dad approached the stove, taking a whiff of what I'd been slaving over the past hour. "Sweet pea, what did you put in this soup?"

"Vegetables. And a few other things..."

"What other things...?"

I kept quiet about that. The soup was done, or at least I thought it was. Nearly an hour going I didn't think it required much more time. Shooing Dad away, I served us both in the (now washed) containers of last night's instant noodle dinner. Dad didn't have any real bowls, or even spoons to use. When I realized that, I told him we'd just have to drink from the square noodle containers like they were really wide cups.

I tasted my creation first.

And I regretted tasting it at all.

"What's wrong?" Dad asked when he saw my expression.

"You try it."

I don't think he wanted to, but with a brave face he brought it up to his lips and-

"Holy-! Mia, what _is_ this?!"

"Clearly not soup..." I pointed out the obvious. With a smile, "I guess it's a good thing I bought more instant noodles?"

I suppose Dad would have been angry about all the money I'd wasted on all those vegetables (and the berries). Produce wasn't cheap, at least not compared to instant noodles or even Pokeballs and Potions! Still, it was the thought that counted, so we enjoyed our unhealthy-but-tasty instant dinner. However, when we were done eating, Dad looked to me with a much more serious expression.

"Mia, have you heard what happened in town?"

"Huh? Something happened?"

Dad did not avert his gaze. Since he worked at Galactic HQ, I knew he'd hear about Azelf escaping. My acting oblivious was obviously intentional.

"A Pokemon escaped today from one of the warehouses. A rare one, or so I was told."

"Really? Which one? Do you know the name?" I feigned interest and wonder, but I don't think he was buying my performance.

"Mia, did you have anything to do with this?"

Of course I did.

"No."

"Mia?"

"Honest! I spent all day helping someone find their lost Pokemon!"

That was true. As was the fact that in the process I mucked up Team Galactic's plans for global domination. I really wanted to throw that one out there. It almost felt like Dad was scolding me for doing the right thing.

Just when I thought he was about to press the issue, Dad sighed.

"Fine. I believe you."

"You're not in trouble because of it... are you?" Asking that would almost implicate me in the deed, but I had to ask. It felt wrong not to.

"No, I'm not. I don't run the warehouse or even deal with Pokemon directly. But the two guys in charge certainly got chewed out in front of everyone."

 _Serves 'em right._

"Either way, the entire building is crazy right now because of this. Don't think they'll be giving us any time off for a while."

That part I did feel guilty about. But I couldn't say anything without practically admitting I was responsible. Even if I was almost certain Dad knew it was me. If I didn't give him any details, he couldn't hide anything from his boss or even Cynthia if she came asking.

"Oh, well. Rookies made a mistake. Want to watch some TV for a while, sweet pea?"

* * *

That evening ended without any other questions regarding my potential involvement in the mess.

The following day I woke up in an empty apartment, and again it was because Dad had to go into work earlier than usual. Probably my fault again, but I kept my mouth shut. After stopping by a convenience store for breakfast, I went straight to the gym. Again I saw a crowd there, smaller than yesterday but proof that the Gym Leader still hadn't arrived. And having spent the money Dad gave me on the failed dinner the previous night, I wouldn't be able to go clothes shopping like he'd asked me to. No skin off my nose!

So I went back to the apartment and flipped on the TV. It was a boring day over all, but I'd give that Gym Leader another day or two before I left. Given the abundance of time I had, I decided to share messages to and from my friends all day.

* * *

To Rachael:

I'm still stuck in Veilstone City. The Gym Leader hasn't shown up, so I'm waiting for him. If he doesn't arrive soon I'm just going to have to come back later on. How are you?

* * *

To Kaitlin:

Thank you for getting my message to Professor Rowan! I'm currently in Veilstone City now. Where are you?

* * *

To Diana:

Long time! I hope you're doing well! Do you think we'll have a chance to meet up soon? I'm currently in Veilstone City, but I don't know how long I'll be here.

* * *

From Michael:

Hey Mia! I'm visiting some family in Canalave City right now. I think it might be a while before we can see each other again. My Pokemon are getting really strong, so I can't wait to challenge you to another battle!

* * *

From Rachael:

I'm in Hearthome City now. I challenged the Gym Leader here, but she's a Ghost type user. I'll challenge her again next time. And I wasn't scared of her Pokemon! You'd probably think that...

* * *

From Diana:

Hi Mia! I'm actually in Pastoria City right now ^^! I don't think I can make it to Veilstone in time, but if we're lucky we could run into each other on the way! I'm going to the lake on Route 213 soon. Maybe we'll run into each other? See you soon =D !

* * *

I'd stayed with Dad for three nights now.

Whether I wanted to or not, I had to go the following day. I said good-bye to Dad before he went to work, telling him I'd keep in touch through Mom (since he didn't have a Poketch of his own). Leaving behind his apartment key, I left the building (saying good-bye to his mean doorman for the last time) and marched straight for the gym. If the Gym Leader wasn't there today, I'd just have to come back at some point.

With breakfast in hand, I stopped in front of the now-familiar gym building. There was no crowd standing outside it! Wolfing down the last of my breakfast pastry, I tossed the wrapper aside (it's not right to litter!) and ran inside.

Unlike other gyms I'd been to, this one was filled with boxing arenas, and I could already tell what the specialty was here. I couldn't remember the previous leader's name, but it didn't matter now that someone else had taken over. That person was sprawled out on the floor in front of the arena furthest from the entrance. I walked over there at a brisk pace, looking down on them once I was close enough.

"Who are you?" She asked. It was a girl, her pink hair a shade or two brighter than my own single ponytail dangling behind me.

"I'm Mia. You're the new Gym Leader?"

"That's right. Let me guess: another challenger?"

I nodded. "I've been waiting for a few days."

With a sigh, the girl sat up. "I've been doing this for hours. I only just woke up a while ago.

"So you got here last night? And you saw the crowd..."

"Yup. I was just minding my own business when Bertha called me and said I had to come to Veilstone to take over the gym. I mean, why me? Was I that good last year?"

That's when it hit me.

"Oh my gosh! You're Maylene! You're the girl who challenged the Elite Four last year!"

A somewhat embarrassed look on her face, Maylene scratched the back of her head. "Well, I just did my best, you know? And I still couldn't beat all of them."

It was the Summer League Tournament last year. I had watched all of it on TV along with my brother Lucas. There were tons of great contestants, but in the end it was a rather scrawny girl that ended up on top. She was doing great with her team of mostly Fighting type Pokemon, but they were no match for the second member of the Elite Four. Bertha, an elderly lady who used Ground types with such ferocity that it scared me, even to this day. Still, the honor of challenging the Elite Four! And now she was a Gym Leader!

"I thought the chance to become a Gym Leader was only given to those who beat all four members. Guess they really needed someone fast. But if I knew just what was waiting for me, boy would I have turned her down." Maylene sighed again.

"I'm sorry... but I really don't want to have to come back later to challenge you..." I said, a bit torn about her condition.

"It's fine! Really!" She hopped with such strength from a sitting position to a standing one that it surprised me. "I'm in charge here now, so I have to do my job, right?"

"Yeah! But are you sure your Pokemon are okay?"

"Here's the cool thing: I get my own personal Pokemon Center healing thingy! It's right in the back, too! How else do the Gym Leaders take on challenges one after another, huh?"

I guess that was true. Lines for matches weren't common, but I had to figure they happened. If a Gym Leader had to run all the way to the Pokemon Center- which was sometimes on the other end of town- between matches they'd never get through all their matches in a busy day.

"Just give me a minute to grab my Pokemon and we'll start! But if you lose, you gotta buy me breakfast. Deal?"

Without giving me a chance to answer, Maylene vanished behind the arena and into a back room I was probably not allowed to enter. For someone who had been a Gym Leader for less than a day, she was certainly taking it all in stride. When she wasn't complaining about the assignment, that is. I think the reason for that was because Bertha, the Elite Four member who pummeled her team last year, was the one who gave her the job. In her position, I imagine I'd be a bit sore about it.

Moments later, Maylene returned with three Pokeballs in her arms. It was going to be a three-on-three match, so immediately my brain got to picking which Pokemon would be best suited to beat her Fighting type team.

We'd be fighting on one of the boxing arenas, making the "field" particularly small and enclosed. Being thrown out of the ring would disqualify the Pokemon, which made sense if this was a boxing match between two people. I didn't like that it applied to Pokemon, but Maylene did clarify that as long as the Pokemon didn't touch the ground they weren't disqualified. A provision granted for Flying types, I figured.

"Okay, we'll do three-on-three! First to lose all their Pokemon loses, and if you lose breakfast is on you! I'm starving over here!"

It was the strangest condition yet, but I agreed to it all the same. I had no intention of losing in the first place. Maylene released her first Pokemon, a small blue and white critter that looked to have a garlic clove for a head. Before choosing a Pokemon of my own, I scanned hers with my Pokedex.

"Meditite, the Meditate Pokemon. It meditates to heighten its inner energy and to float in the air. It eats one berry a day."

Meditating was certainly obvious, since the Pokemon was sitting cross-legged and with its eyes closed. Sadly, I wasn't overly prepared for facing Fighting type Pokemon, so I opened with the only Pokemon I had capable of using Flying type moves. Once Dustox was hovering above the ring, Maylene gave me the signal to launch the opening attack.

"Dustox, start with Gust!"

"Meditite, Detect and hit it back with Confusion!"

My purple bug swooped around to form the miniature tornado, which was sent flying at Meditite at blazing speed. However, the attack was blocked by some invisible power. Opening its eyes, Meditite began to hover slightly off the ground as its eyes and body glowed. That same glowing effect covered Dustox, and my Pokemon was forced backwards towards the ceiling above me. He slammed into it hard, before being hurled towards the ground next to me. I tried to catch him, but just barely missed. Although the damage didn't seem too extensive, by Maylene's rules Dustox had been disqualified.

"What the heck?! That's cheating!" I found myself yelling at her.

"Yeah, it wasn't exactly a fair move, huh? But I did lay down the rules for you, didn't I? It's not my fault your Pokemon couldn't stop Meditite!"

I was wondering if that's how Maylene had made her way through the League Tournament, but Meditite wasn't within her roster the previous year. This was a new tactic, and honestly a cheap one. One action into the match and I was already at a severe disadvantage. Still, I put Dustox away and looked through my bag for my next Pokemon. If she was going to play dirty, then so would I.

"Go, Mawile!"

My trusty yellow and black Pokemon was in the ring now. Maylene looked impressed, but she quickly moved to hide it before opening with an attack of her own.

"Meditite, Drain Punch!"

"Mawile, Iron Head!"

Placing its feet on the ring, Meditite flew forward fist first. Mawile swung around just in time, allowing Meditite's attack to land on Mawile's black jaws. I heard the sound of metal being struck, and sure enough Meditite was reeling back from the attack. I imagined it was like punching a metal door, so the poor Pokemon was probably screaming internally.

"Mawile, Play Rough!"

Thanks to the updated Pokedex, I realized a couple new moves in Mawile's arsenal that belonged to the Fairy type. What's more, Meditite was weak to them! Play Rough had Mawile rush the flinching Meditite, pounding him a bit with her weak little arms before allowing the jaw behind her head to slam hard as it could into Meditite. The Pokemon crashed into the elastic ropes circling the arena, so Maylene was lucky her Pokemon hadn't been disqualified.

"What the heck?! Meditite, use Fake Out!"

"Mawile, keep him back with Fairy Wind!"

Meditite got to his feet, moving in to attack my Pokemon. Mawile's entire body began to sparkle, unleashing a wave of energy tinged pink that struck Meditite more like a gust of wind. Being as light as he was (and weak to the attack to boot), the Pokemon was sent flying, this time over the ropes and onto the cold, hard ground. Her Pokemon had been disqualified.

"What the?! What kinds of moves are these?" Maylene said in a panic.

"Something new!" I winked.

"Fine! Let's see how well they work against Machoke!"

Having lost her cool a bit, Maylene released her next Pokemon before even putting Meditite away. While not hulking over me, Machoke was certainly a beefy Pokemon. Before anything else, I scanned him with my Pokedex.

"Machoke, the Superpower Pokemon. Machoke's boundless power is very dangerous, so it wears a belt that suppresses its energy."

"Huh...? Does that mean someone puts it on the Pokemon or he's born with it...?"

"Mia! Focus!" Maylene cried out as if to scold me.

"Sorry...! Mawile, hit him with Fairy Wind again!"

Again Mawile began to sparkle, and sent another pink gust towards Machoke. While susceptible to the attack like Meditite, Machoke was considerably heavier, so he wasn't blown away. Machoke weathered the attack well enough, and flexed his muscles afterward to prove it.

"Machoke, Karate Chop!"

"Mawile, Iron Head!"

Stomping along, Machoke slammed down with his right arm, but Mawile just barely used her attack in time to counter it. Despite being an effective block, Mawile was still knocked off her feet from the impact.

"Brick Break!"

Machoke swung again without waiting, cutting into Mawile's defensive jaw and breaking through the silver sheen it had.

"Mawile, Bite!"

Springing back to life, Mawile's jaw latched onto Machoke's leg, but the beefy Pokemon didn't seem to notice or even care.

"Machoke, use Strength to toss her out of there!"

Machoke easily lifted my Pokemon, and moved to throw her with all his force out of the arena.

"Mawile, don't let go!"

The jaw clamped around Machoke's leg bit down even harder. When Machoke noticed he couldn't throw my Pokemon, he dropped her and tried to pry open her jaw with his bare hands. This was my chance!

"Mawile, Play Rough!"

Suddenly releasing her grip, the Machoke stumbled backwards as Mawile began to pummel him with her flurry of quick jabs. Mawile wasn't as strong as Machoke, but the combination of a super effective move with his poor balance let her push him against the ropes. The final blow from her jaw was enough to send Machoke fumbling over the ropes and onto the ground.

"Yes! Take that!" I called out.

"Not bad... but I still have my best Pokemon! Prepare yourself for this!" Maylene said, throwing her last Pokeball into the ring. It exploded, releasing a blue Pokemon that resembled a kind of dog with a yellow chest area and black fur trim that made it look like he was wearing an eye mask.

"Lucario, the Aura Pokemon. By catching the Aura emanating from others, it can read their thoughts and movements."

"What is with these half-psychic fighters?" I mumbled to myself. Of course, Lucario wasn't technically part Psychic type. By this point, Maylene was going all out; Mawile was already a bit tuckered out from the previous two fights.

"Lucario, finish her Pokemon off with Drain Punch!"

"Mawile, Iron Head!"

It was my mistake to go for the same defensive strategy again. Lucario delivered his punch with pinpoint precision, ducking just under Mawile's defense and sending my Pokemon reeling back against the ropes. Maylene didn't even have to give extra orders on how to bypass my defense! Is that what it meant by reading the aura?

Regardless, Mawile was out cold now. After putting her away, I was down to my last Pokemon just like Maylene. I didn't think I could win in a straight-up fight with her Lucario; not with any of the Pokemon I had on me, anyway. But I did have one that would be a bit unfair to her. With a smirk, I released my blue flamed Ponyta.

"Whoa! Super cool!" Maylene said, unable to contain herself.

"Right? Now, Ponyta use Flame Wheel!"

Unable to react in time, Ponyta's body became engulfed in flames as she charged the short distance of the ring towards Lucario. The Pokemon's first instinct was to guard, but Ponyta struck him head on, launching him from the ring in a blaze of flames that went from blue to red before going out midair. That's all it took to end this battle.

"Whoa...! I did not see that coming!" Maylene commented. "Guess that's that, huh?"

* * *

A short while later, Maylene returned to where I was sitting by our recent field of battle with my Pokemon. She'd been nice enough to have them healed up with her private machine in the back.

"It was a great fight. I'm still trying to figure out how to best accept challenges. You were the first to try this 'in the ring' thing." She told me.

"Yeah? I didn't like it," I told her outright.

"Me either. I mean, it's fair if we got two fighters duking it out! Even super cool! But I guess trainers use all sorts of different Pokemon that just wouldn't work in there."

"What if I had an Onix? He wouldn't fit. Or a Snorlax!"

"No way!" Maylene panicked. "He'd break my rings! Yeah, definitely not doing battles there anymore."

"So are you going to stay here doing this? Being the Gym Leader?" I asked her next.

"I guess." She shrugged. "They pay me to do it. And it's not that bad. I was kinda just training my Pokemon to try and beat the Elite Four again some day. But I guess I can do that here while earning a paycheck!"

"I wonder if one day I can become a Gym Leader...?" I wondered aloud.

"Sure! I mean, I don't know if they'd take you, but if they took me anyone's fair! Just gotta beat the tournament. Oh! Reminds me..."

Maylene vanished into the back room again, only to return moments later with something tiny in her hand. She dropped it into my outstretched palm.

"The Cobble Badge! I know you wouldn't have left without it, but rules say I got to present it to you with..." She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "This message!"

Clearing her throat, Maylene began to read from the paper.

"Congratulations on your victory. I present you with the Cobble Badge, and hope this is another step in your journey to become a Pokemon Master."

After a sigh, "This paper assumes a lot about the person who won, though. What if you don't want to be a Pokemon Master? I think whoever wrote this is probably long dead, huh?"

I giggled at the comment. "Maybe."

"Well, it was fun, Mia! Day two on the job only, and I'm already dead tired! I'm really hating Bertha for this..."

Rather than listen to another long rant on the elderly Elite Four member who put her there, I said my farewells to Maylene and exited the Gym. The fight had been intense, and I got a bit scared at the end when Mawile had been easily KO'd by Lucario. Really, it was the arena itself that saved me in that match.

I had to get better from that point on, and I had to better train my Pokemon. With three badges on hand and a fresh supply of Pokeballs, I knew what I had to do. My next destination was Route 214, and I just knew I had to catch a new Pokemon there!


	17. The Glistening Spring

The Glistening Spring, Chapter XVII

* * *

There was a small lake not far from the southern outskirts of Veilstone City where I stopped to have lunch. Between a stop at the Poke Mart and actually marching out of the city, it was already lunch time; my battle with Maylene had eaten up my morning. As I set up my little picnic, I began to wonder if I shouldn't just go back to Dad's apartment and wait for tomorrow to set out bright and early.

"Then I'd lose all this progress," I told myself, grabbing yet another sandwich and Gible's Pokeball. Since setting out on my journey, and perhaps with only one or two exceptions, I always had my first Pokemon join me for lunch. Traveling alone was a bit much at times, and even if Gible didn't speak it was nice sharing a meal with another living thing.

"Gible, we have to catch another Pokemon friend today." I told him just before dropping some Pokechow at his feet. The small dragon quickly devoured it and growled for more.

"There's got to be something here on Route 214 we can try and catch. But I don't want to spend forever wandering around looking for them. I wish we could just check something to see what Pokemon were common in these parts."

Gible listened, but I doubt he understood anything I was saying. All he seemed interested in was the next helping of Pokechow coming out of my bag. After dumping it in front of him, I pulled out the Pokedex and began to fiddle with the buttons. The little red device had a ton of functions, but the most use I ever got out of it was scanning Pokemon I didn't know, as well analyzing my own critters to come up with battle strategies. And honestly I had no clue why I had never turned to it in the past.

Buried deep within menus, the device had a feature where it told you what kinds of Pokemon had been reported in different parts of the region! It was limited to just Sinnoh, of course, but that's where I was so it was hardly a problem. I scrolled down to where it said Route 214 to see the list for myself.

"Magikarp?" I looked out to the small lake in front of me. "Yeah, I guess that would make sense. But I don't want a Magikarp."

The Pokedex also said there were Gyarados, which honestly surprised me given the small lake. I didn't know how deep it was, but you'd think it'd be obvious to see Gyarados thrashing about the surface. Since the Pokedex listed the critters from most common sightings to least, I skipped to the end to see what were the rarest finds.

"Gligar... that's a Poison type, right? That probably wouldn't be a bad idea, huh boy?"

Gible growled, but it was only to ask for more chow.

"No more for you! You're gonna get fat." Though to be honest, he already looked plenty chunky because he was so short and stubby.

"Vulpix, too. They're cute, but I already got Ponyta for Fire. Guess a Vulpix wouldn't be a good catch."

Extremely rare sightings of Houndoom had also been reported, but again I was looking at another Fire type, even if it was part Dark. A Psychic Pokemon called Spoink was also listed, but those only appeared at certain times of the year, when swarms would pass through. Just to be safe, I tuned my Poketch's radio to the local broadcast. However, the automated announcer confirmed there were no reported swarms in the vicinity.

"Sudowoodo. They look like trees, so I'd have to go poking every tree I see to find one."

I looked away from the lake and south towards the rest of Route 214. While it was certainly less dense than other routes I'd traveled, there were probably hundreds, if not thousands of trees all over the place.

"Yeah, never mind. Wait a minute...!"

My eyes went wide at the next listing. A Psychic type, and listed a number of notches higher than the Pokemon I'd been looking at before; this meant it wasn't as rare. Meaning an easier find for me. I punched a few more buttons, and the Pokedex sprung to life to deliver an existing entry on the Pokemon.

"Girafarig, the Long Neck Pokemon. Its tail, which also contains a small brain, may bite on its own if it notices an alluring smell."

The fact that the Pokemon had two heads, one on each end of its body, was a bit creepy. But I had been getting used to Mawile's massive head-jaw. The only difference here was that Girafarig's tail had eyes and a mouth of its own...

"Yeah, that is a bit creepy. What do you think, boy?"

I showed the Pokedex entry to Gible, who growled at it almost as if the Pokemon were really alive. I didn't know whether to take that as a "No, don't catch one!" or "Cool! Two heads!".

"You really need to learn how to talk..." I mumbled. Not too long ago I saw a report that mentioned a talking Meowth, but didn't have footage to prove it. If true, I wonder why teaching Pokemon how to speak wasn't a thing?

Once lunch was over, I put Gible back in his Pokeball and continued south on the road. My eyes were peeled for a wild Girafarig, but no matter where I looked all I saw were Geodude littering the path and Zubat in the trees trying to sleep during the day. Not sure what kind of habitat Girafarig preferred, I took a slight detour up a barren cliff to get a better view of the route from on high. In the distance, I could make out trainers having battles, but no wild Pokemon I was looking for.

"Looking for the spring?"

"Huh?" I turned to my right, seeing a young man standing there next to me. I hadn't even sensed him approach!

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya," he said, noticing my shock. "Name's Hunter."

"Mia." I introduced myself, finding his name odd.

"So, you looking for the spring?"

"What spring?"

"Sendoff Spring. Guess not, huh?"

It's not that I knew Sinnoh completely, but I was certain I'd never heard of a place called Sendoff Spring. Sometimes, places would get strange names that wouldn't become public knowledge for a long time to follow. Something like this had happened in Kanto last year, where a massive tunnel from Viridian City to Vermillion City had been excavated by wild Diglett and Dugtrio. Trainers there had been calling it the Diglett's Cave for months before the report was aired and it was officially added to the map.

"What's Sendoff Spring?" I finally asked him.

"Well, and this is only what I've heard: it's supposed to be the fourth Sinnoh Lake. A place for souls to move on to the next life."

I wasn't sure if he was trying to scare me or not. "So it's a lake for dead Pokemon?"

"But it's not listed on the map."

"Maybe they haven't added it yet." I shrugged.

"Nah, they don't _want_ to add it. Supposedly, there's a path through the forest that connects here on Route 214. They say the Pokemon League's keeping it from being public knowledge. But all the trainers out here have heard the legend."

"So it's a legend now?" I chuckled. I was really beginning to think this guy was just trying to impress me like I was some little kid.

"Mark my words: there's a magic lake out there somewhere. If you look hard enough, you'll find it! See ya 'round, kid."

And just as suddenly as Hunter had shown up, he left. I really did seem to run into the kookiest people out here. Still, his talk did have me pulling out my Town Map after he was no where in sight. Oddly enough, there looked like there _could_ be something due east of Route 214, but the map just made it appear as a featureless part of the forest. Curiosity piqued, I put my map away and headed back down the cliff and towards the forest proper.

* * *

I admit I spent more time looking for that hidden path than I probably should have. It didn't help that during my search I was stopped by half a dozen different trainers, and each of them eager to take my money. I made short work of all of them, but by the time the last match was over the sun was close to setting and I still hadn't found the supposed secret path to this "Sendoff Spring". I was beginning to wonder if it was all a giant joke made by Hunter to get me to waste my time. In which case, he succeeded.

Route 214 continued south for a while longer before arriving at Valor Lake, so I had no choice but to begin setting up camp for the night. And it was then that I found the path I'd been searching for. Once I'd picked a spot a short ways off the beaten path, I noticed a strange glow emanating from deeper in the woods. These were the same woods I'd been poking my head into all day, so I was now certain the light had something to do with Sendoff Spring.

I followed the eerie glow, and before long found myself walking through a section of the forest that almost seemed man-made. There were no fences or even a road at my feet, but the trees themselves seemed to part to make a path deeper into the woods east of Route 214. Curving right and left a couple times, until at last the forest spit me out into a clearing. And beyond that clearing I saw it with my own eyes.

There was indeed a lake, situated at the bottom of a steep valley that I couldn't seem to find a way down safely. But more importantly than that, the water at the bottom of the lake seemed to be glowing. I looked up in the sky, thinking it was just the lake reflecting the light of the stars. But the sun still hadn't set completely, and most of the stars were still not visible in the orange-turning-red sky. And as far as I knew there were no Pokemon capable of doing something like that.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

The voice came from beside me. I hadn't sensed anyone else's presence on my way to the lake, so the thought that someone had followed me seemed unlikely. Aside from being startled, it didn't take me long to recognize the person who'd spoke. But she was the last person I expected to see there. Or anywhere outside her mansion, to be honest.

"Etria?"

It was the same girl I'd met so long ago at the start of my journey. I'd met her a second time during my return visit to Eterna City, when she'd given me that strange warning. I didn't think it was possible for the girl to appear anywhere other than her mansion, probably because that's where she'd met her demise. But there she was, and looking a bit more see-through than ever before.

"Hello, Mia. It's so nice to see you again." She smiled at me.

"What are you doing here?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I like it here. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I looked back down at the lake at the bottom of the valley. I certainly couldn't argue with that statement.

"Yeah, it is. It's called Sendoff Spring, I think."

"I didn't know. The name makes it a bit sad."

It hadn't occurred to me, but to Etria- being dead and all- I guess it made sense. Had she begun to accept her reality?

"The last time I saw you, I asked you if you remembered how you died. Do you?"

But the ghostly girl shook her head. "No."

"How did you get here? This place is like on the other side of Sinnoh." I pointed out. Granted, physical distances shouldn't matter to ghosts, but it was still a valid question.

"I think about this place, and then I'm here. But it's the only place I can go that isn't my house."

That little detail solidified Sendoff Spring's spiritual connection. Of course, I couldn't run around proving it to others, since sharing my story of talking to a dead girl would probably have me sent to the crazy house.

"And what about the world of dreams?" I asked next. That was the other thing Etria had mentioned the last time I saw her.

"At the heart of the world..."

"Yeah, that's what you said. Where is that? Here?" I pointed down at the glowing lake.

"This isn't what I saw."

"So what did you see?" Never mind where she saw it; being a ghost I figured it was some kind of spiritual vision. Actually, if I started thinking about that I'd probably go crazy. And here I thought mystical Pokemon capable of bending space and time was outlandish.

"It was in the middle of the world... or maybe it was in the middle of somewhere in the world...?" Her voice was fading in and out, like she was losing the ability to stay there next to me.

"Doesn't really help much, Etria."

"It's a Pokemon," she said next, looking at me directly. "A Pokemon you take with you. You shouldn't have done that."

"Huh...?"

"I'm sorry. I have to go now. Good-bye, Mia."

And just like that, Etria's ghostly form vanished into the darkness around me.

* * *

Sitting next to my campfire, I tried to make sense of what Etria had said, but was getting no where. Talking to myself wasn't helping; up until then, everything regarding the ghost girl I'd kept a secret. But on my own I couldn't hope to figure out this riddle she'd posed me without even realizing it. If I pieced it all together, what I got was:

 _I would bring a Pokemon with me to the center of the world that would devour the entire world...?_

That hardly made sense on its own. No Pokemon in existence could just devour the entire world. And even if such a Pokemon existed, I certainly didn't have it. Though I supposed if one could super-size Mawile's jaw it could probably get the job done. I couldn't help but laugh at my own sad joke.

"What if I'm going crazy? I mean, I'm the only one who's seen Etria. What if she isn't real?"

Asking myself that scared me even more. Up until now, I'd assumed she was real based on Rachael having seen a different ghost while we were in the mansion that night. But who's to say Rachael wasn't crazy as well? It was a time like this that having her nearby would come in handy. Being a psychic, she could probably tell me if Etria was real or just in my head. Well, anyone could do that I suppose. And they'd all be just as likely to call me crazy if she wasn't real.

I sighed. I was just going circles in my own head.

Sleeping next to me and also by the campfire, Gible let out a soft gurgle. He seemed to be dreaming about something good; I was beginning to understand his various grunts and roars more and more. Also, his mouth was curved upwards like a smile.

I had set up my camp near the point where the valley became too steep so I could look down into the spring. It continued to glow even this late at night, sparkling all the while as if jumping in would teleport me to some other magical world. I won't lie when I say I even considered jumping down there to see what the fuss was about with the glowing lake. And as I was giving this thought serious consideration, I heard something on the wind.

It sounded like a bell. A soothing sound that seemed to be coming from somewhere in the forest nearby. Gible continued to sleep soundly, making me wonder if the sound was just my imagination. Until I heard it again, only this time it sounded slightly different. It was definitely a bell.

Leaving Gible behind with my bag, I took only a spare Pokeball with me. I wasn't sure what I expected, but if it was a challenge I could fake them out with the empty device. If it was a wild Pokemon, I could try to catch it, even if the odds were small. I proceeded into the darkness of the forest, looking back every so often to catch sight of the campfire. Eventually, I couldn't see the fire, and could only make out its light.

Again I heard the sound of a bell. Pokeball tightly in hand, I stood perfectly still. When I heard the bell a fourth time, I realized it was coming from up above. Dangling from a branch was a rather large wind chime, white and red billowing in the wind. When another breeze hit it, it let out another one of those soothing bell sounds.

"Who would leave a chime out here? Well, it is a mystical spring. Maybe there's a shrine nearby?" I spoke aloud, wondering if my voice would carry and alert anyone nearby that they had a visitor.

Instead, what happened was the chime above sounded again. There wasn't any wind that time, and the object was staying perfectly still. It sounded again while I was looking at it, and I suddenly felt this impression that it was warning me to stay away. I took a step back, and the chime sounded once more. Taking its creepy warning to heart, I turned to head back to my camp. That's when I found Gible standing there behind me.

"Gible? What are you doing here?"

My Pokemon looked up at me, growling with his teeth bared.

"What's the matter, boy?" I asked.

The answer was another growl, this one louder than before. Before I could say anything else, the bell sound came from behind once more. This one didn't sound as serene or foreboding; it sounded outright hostile. If that could be believed. I looked back up at it, when I saw it spin slightly when another breeze hit it.

"That's not a chime...!" I said, wishing I had brought along my Pokedex. The object was actually a Pokemon, and its beady yellow eyes were staring down at me!

"Gible, Dragon Rage!"

Wasting no time, my Pokemon opened his large mouth wide and engulfed the Pokemon in the purple flames and smoke. The attack also singed the branch the Pokemon was hanging off of, causing it to break off and fall to the ground. The Pokemon didn't, however, and began to hover above our heads. It was hurt from Gible's attack, but rather than fight us sounded its bell one more time. Hardly an attack, Gible was unfazed and ready to attack again. But the Pokemon turned around and began to float away, using the breeze flowing through the trees to make its escape.

"Oh, no you don't!" I yelled, throwing my Pokeball against the wind up at it. The red and white device just barely struck the similarly colored Pokemon, trapping it inside and bringing it back to ground level. It only shook once before it accepted its fate as a captured Pokemon.

"Huh...? That was really easy..." I said as I picked up the Pokeball. Gible growled in victory, and then said something with his gurgly voice before toddling back towards the camp. A bit confused but all the same satisfied, I took my latest catch back with me.

At the camp, there was someone waiting for us. This is why Gible had suddenly woken up and followed me into the forest. Sitting by the fire, the light reflecting off her face told me who she was even at a distance.

"Diana!" I called out, running towards her.

"Hi, Mia! It's been so long!" She gave me a hug as soon as we were close enough.

"I thought you said you were going to meet me at the lake?"

"Well, this is a lake, right?" She chuckled. "I heard from some trainers on the road there was a secret lake out this way. I almost didn't find it, but I saw a light coming from deep within the woods. It was not only that lake down there, but also your campfire!"

"Lucky us! And lucky it was you. I left my bag with all my stuff there, too. Big mistake, huh?" I said, sticking my tongue out playfully.

"Gible would have guarded it for you. Isn't that right, boy?"

My Pokemon had taken a bit of a shine to Diana, which was odd considering he hadn't actually met her before this. I guess Diana just had a way with Pokemon, or Gible somehow knew her by scent? I wasn't sure how that last theory worked but since Gible himself couldn't elaborate I let it slide.

"So what were you doing out there?" Diana asked, pointing to the dark forest ahead.

"Well, I heard something that sounded like a bell, so I went to check it out. And it turned out to be a Pokemon! Want to see it?"

Diana nodded, so I prepared to release my latest catch. Before that, I remembered the League's rules, so using my Pokedex first I had it transmit the data of my latest catch, and with it Dustox's Pokeball to my PC Storage Box somewhere far away. I'd rejoin with Dustox at some point in the future. With that out of the way, I released the Pokemon I'd caught. It still looked a little beat up, but now that I had my Pokedex handy I scanned it.

"Chimecho, the Wind Chime Pokemon. Its cries echo inside its hollow body to emerge as beautiful notes for startling and repelling foes."

"Wow! I've never seen a Pokemon like this!" Diana exclaimed, wanting to touch Chimecho but resisting the urge.

"Me either. But it's definitely a Pokemon..."

"You don't sound convinced...?" She chuckled.

"Well, it's really strange looking. No offense, buddy." I added that last bit for Chimecho's sake, but he didn't seem to mind either way. "He's a Psychic type, which is really cool, I guess."

"Wow! That's a really lucky catch, then!"

"But it's strange... the Pokedex says he only has one attack..."

The name itself sounded cool, but just how powerful was it? And why did he only have one attack?

"What is it?" Diana asked. "I have a Psychic type myself, so maybe I can help.

"It's called Synchronoise."

But immediately, Diana shook her head. "Never heard of it."

"Well... Chimecho? Use Synchronoise!"

My newest Pokemon seemed to nod, and then quickly jerked its body. It caused him to make that same pleasant bell sound I'd heard when I first went looking through the forest. But other than that...

"Nothing happened...? Is that it?"

"Maybe it's a special move? Something that only works sometimes?" Diana offered.

"Yeah, but when? I think he was doing that the entire time we were in the woods, but Gible wasn't even affected."

"Hmmm..." Diana lowered her head as if to think with me.

I looked back up at Chimecho, wondering if he was truly the catch I wanted. Girafarig was my goal, but I hadn't run into a single one all day. There was always tomorrow, but now that I had a Psychic type I was hoping he'd turn out to be a lucky catch. But with a single attack at his disposal, and one that didn't seem to do anything at all, I was beginning to feel cheated.

"Well, whatever. It's late anyway. Chimecho, return."

I put him back in his Pokeball, the same blank-yet-smiling expression plastered on his face.

"Maybe you just need to train with him?" Diana said with a smile. She took a seat by the fire again.

"Maybe. I wonder if he can evolve, too?"

We discussed Chimecho a bit more, before the topic shifted to what Diana had been up to since I saw her last in Oreburgh City. After some training, she'd managed to defeat Roark and collect her first badge! As proud as she was of the accomplishment, I felt a sense of pride, too. After all, I think it was partly through my training her that she was able to work up that courage and dedication to try again. When I brought this up, Diana completely agreed with me.

"If it wasn't for you, I'd probably have given up completely and stayed home. But now I have two badges! Thank you so much, Mia!"

Her smile sorta melted my heart. Her second badge had come from Pastoria City's Gym Leader, one I'd be facing soon enough. His name was Crasher Wake, and he was a master of Water Pokemon. I wasn't worried about facing him, as I had Mareep on my side to zap all his Pokemon into submission. But before that I'd probably be stopping by Sunyshore City, where I'd have to face Volkner, an Electric type specialist. Thankfully, I had Gible to cover me on that end.

After that, we spent a couple hours talking about all the amazing experiences we'd had since our last meeting. I really wanted to challenge her to a battle after hearing how passionately she spoke about Pokemon, but I decided to leave it for the morning. We prepared dinner together, just like we had done lunch the first time we met. And then after a fun evening of talking like two of the bestest friends, we fell asleep side by side. Just before that, Diana had rolled over to look at me in her sleeping bag.

"Mia?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something really, really embarrassing?"

"Sure. But I don't know if I won't laugh, okay?" I warned her fairly. It was more of a joke, because honestly I wouldn't do something that cruel to her.

"I...-" She went silent, as if whatever she wanted to say was too much.

"Don't say it if it's too embarrassing. I don't mind."

"No, I want to!"

"So say it!" I laughed. She was really being weird about this.

"I...! I think of you as my best friend!"

Immediately after saying this, Diana ducked into her sleeping bag, but I had enough of a chance to see that she was beet red after admitting this. Heck, even I found my own cheeks to be a bit red afterward. I didn't have a best friend, at least not one I could be sure of. Not one I'd said it to. As this all sank in, I saw Diana poke her head out of her sleeping bag, her eyes looking at me for a reaction or response.

As my response, I pulled my arm out of the sleeping bag and offered her my hand.

"You know, I think the same thing." I told her.

"R-Really?!"

I nodded. "Yeah. And if I'm wrong, then why don't we convince myself that we are best friends, starting right now?"

Diana was smiling wide, her cheeks still flush. I was sure mine were too as she reached out to grab my hand. But as embarrassing as it felt, like I wanted to die on the spot somehow because it was just not something that felt real, I closed my eyes.

Like this, it felt better. It felt real. And before long, I drifted off to sleep, as did Diana. And we slept through the night holding each other's hand.


	18. Towards Sunyshore City

Towards Sunyshore City, Chapter XVIII

* * *

Morning came, and Diana and I were set to go our separate ways.

She was headed north to Veilstone City, since her goal was to challenge the gym there for her next badge. I warned her that despite being new, Maylene wasn't to be underestimated. Especially after my match with her, where she'd decided to try new approaches to the rules she imposed when taking on challengers. Diana seemed confident, which felt out of character for her. It was nice to see how much she'd changed after I'd helped her a few weeks back.

"It might be a while before we run into each other again," she said once her things were packed. "But maybe not!"

"I guess we'll see. Listen, there's one thing I want to do before you go."

Diana's face flushed. "Wh-What is it?"

"I just wanted to challenge you to a match...?"

After hearing it, her cheeks returned to their normal color. I didn't know what was on her mind, but didn't ask further. I just had the feeling I probably didn't want to know. I figured it had something to do with last night's chat, about how we considered each other best friends. And we had fallen asleep holding hands. I knew that such an act between boys and girls was one thing, but two girls? Maybe Diana was a bit confused about it all.

"Well, I'm still not that good." She laughed half-heartedly.

"Don't say that! Just a while ago you were feeling really good about challenging Maylene! Why am I any different?"

"Because you are!" She yelled back, the rosy tint returning to her cheeks. "A Gym Leader is just a Gym Leader. You're different."

"I don't know how..."

"Never mind! You want a battle? I'll give you one!"

Diana seemed to be a bit more nervous than usual. That kind of unease was sure to mess her up once we started fighting. I didn't mention this, since I was hoping it would trip her up. Another chance to teach her a lesson! I guess in a way I was taking this teaching part-time job a bit too seriously.

"Okay, we'll just have a quick match! Two-on-two?"

Diana nodded. "Yeah. I'll go first!"

She wasted no time in getting one of her Pokeballs out of her bag and throwing it between us. Out came a green Pokemon with two flowers, one on each arm. It was also really tiny, and I would have mistaken it for Budew were it not for the flowers. Quickly I scanned it with my Pokedex.

"Roselia, the Thorn Pokemon. The beautiful flowers on its arms have toxic thorns. Don't even think about picking those flowers."

"Well, considering it's a Pokemon I don't think anyone would be that cruel." I sassed my Pokedex as if it could respond.

"You know, many people try to take them from Roselia in the wild! It's like mean people that take Slowpoke tails!"

I suddenly felt grossed out. Who would want a Slowpoke's tail? And for what logical reason? With a shudder, I removed the thought from my head and picked a Pokemon of my own. It would have been unfair to use Ponyta against her Grass type, so instead I went with Mareep to give her a fighting chance. The match was on just after Diana had scanned my Pokemon with her own Pokedex.

"Roselia, use Growth!"

"Mareep, Thundershock!"

The flowers on Roselia's arms bloomed wide, taking in power from the morning sunlight and the soil around her. Mareep's horns began to glow, and her wool let off plenty of static electricity before she unleashed her attack. However, Mareep's attack missed! Just before the bolt struck, the small Pokemon had side stepped the blow.

"Use Magical Leaf!"

"Mareep, counter with Thunder Wave!"

Dozens of glowing petals erupted from the flowers on Roselia's arms, and went flying through the air towards my Pokemon. Mareep's body emitted a pulse of electricity which singed all the incoming leaves without issue.

"Roselia, Stun Spore!"

"Thundershock, Mareep!"

Mareep's horns began to glow again, and another bolt shot forth. Again it missed, as Roselia began to dance around the field as she unleashed a golden powder into the air around Mareep. However, the attack didn't seem to affect my Pokemon.

"What?! But why not?"

"Electric types have a bit of a resistance to paralysis." I grinned as I shared this tidbit.

"Fine! Leech Seed!"

"Mareep, one more Thundershock!"

But the outcome was the same again; before the bolt could strike Roselia, the tiny green Pokemon danced out of the way without an issue. Add to that, the seed managed to plant itself on the wool of Mareep since my Pokemon was so slow by comparison. I knew that if I took any longer, this battle would quickly turn in Diana's favor.

"Mareep, Cotton Spore!"

My Pokemon shook her body as if to remove the seed on her back. This caused it to sap away some of her energy, but the fluffy white spores traveled towards Roselia. As much as the Pokemon tried to dance to dodge it, some of them landed their mark. It wasn't a move to damage Roselia, but the spores did puff up on contact and slow her movement a bit.

"Mareep, use Electro Ball!"

"Roselia, Giga Drain!"

Roselia took a stance, putting both flowers first to absorb the incoming attack. However, now that she had been slowed down, Mareep's attack would strike true, as well as harder than before. As both the seed on Mareep's back and Roselia's attack tried to drain her fighting power, Mareep's horns generated an orb of electrical energy that shot forth at blinding speed. Roselia was unable to dodge it, and the explosion sent the small Pokemon flying into the air. When she landed again, Roselia managed to get back on her feet, but between the paralysis and overall damage, she didn't look like she could handle much more. Same went for Mareep, who had been drained of a lot more energy than I would have imagined.

"How about a draw?" I asked.

"Yeah, maybe. Your Mareep is really strong!"

Diana called back Roselia, and I did the same for Mareep.

"Your Pokemon was also really good. She evolved from Budew, right?"

"Mhm! She's so much stronger now, isn't she?"

It seemed like not that long ago, Diana was torn up about having Budew as her first Pokemon. Now that she had evolved, Diana had learned to use her Pokemon's strengths to her advantage, much the same way I taught her. Now, we had one more match before our battle was concluded.

"Go, Kadabra!"

A yellow Pokemon that appeared to have a vest (which was just its torso) stood before me. The red star on its forehead seemed to glow faintly as he stared me down. The evolved form of Abra, a Pokemon Diana had mentioned the first time I met her.

"Kadabra, the PSI Pokemon. It possesses strong spiritual power. The more danger it faces, the stronger its psychic power."

I was honestly surprised; given the effort it would take to train a Psychic type Pokemon, and Diana to had one? Of course, this wasn't the time to point this out to her. Or any time, it would have been disrespectful to her. Since I didn't have Dustox anymore, I couldn't play the type advantage. So I went with a different approach.

My Pokemon was out, Chimecho. I hadn't been able to get this Pokemon to do much the previous night, but I was willing to try again against a fellow Psychic type. Diana opened with her first attack.

"Kadabra, Confusion!"

Clutching the spoon in his right hand, a purple aura emerged from his left as he aimed it at Chimecho. My Pokemon began to glow as well, but despite his body shaking a bit, nothing else happened. Psychic type against Psychic type wasn't very effective, after all.

"Chimecho, Synchronoise!"

It was the only attack my Pokemon had, and the last time I used it had no real effect on anything anywhere. We all heard that calming bell sound, but just as I thought nothing would happen, Chimecho began to glow! Immediately after, a powerful shockwave erupted towards Kadabra. The yellow Pokemon was knocked off his feet, looking more than a bit winded.

"Whoa... what the heck?" I blurted out in surprise.

"What kind of attack was that?" Diana was just as surprised.

The Pokedex was a nifty device, but it didn't really detail a Pokemon's abilities beyond the simple list. For some reason, Synchronoise was now doing damage, making me wonder if it had something to do with the target or the conditions.

"Chimecho, Synchronoise again!"

The same bell sound reached my ears, and then Chimecho released another wave at Kadabra. Diana's Pokemon was again knocked off his feet, looking even more beat up this time.

"Okay! So it works! Please stop beating up Kadabra!" Diana cried.

"Oh... sorry." Admittedly, we were still battling, so she could have been fighting back. I guess the sudden attack had thrown her off just as much as it did me. However, instead of ordering another attack, Diana called back her Kadabra.

"Did you give up?"

"I think we should call it a draw, too." Diana sounded a bit defeated.

I guess I had gone a bit overboard with trying out Chimecho's attacks. My first inclination was to offer her a Potion to even the odds, but Diana looked like she was done. I put Chimecho away, hoping to find some wild Pokemon later to keep testing the Synchronoise skill.

"Sorry about that," I told Diana again.

"It's okay. Battling you is a bit scary, anyway."

Diana had said something to the same effect before we began. I wanted to ask her why she kept saying stuff like that, but in the end she ended our little camping trip together by declaring her departure.

"I should get going. It's a long way to Veilstone City, after all."

"Kinda, yeah. I'll keep in touch, okay?"

"M-Me too! Bye, Mia!"

And with that Diana practically took off at lightning speed. We had to walk part of the way together, but I guess she forgot about that. Either way, with my things packed, I slung my bag over my shoulder and started back towards Route 214.

* * *

The path leading to Sendoff Spring was apparently closer to Valor Lake than I expected. Before lunch time I was already at the lakefront, which technically meant the small field just outside the forested part around the lake proper. Further to the south was a restaurant- an odd choice given where we were. If I kept heading south from there, I'd eventually reach Route 213, which would take me to Pastoria City. However, my destination was to the east: Route 222 towards Sunyshore City. The gym there matched the one in Canalave City; this was the easternmost point of the Sinnoh region, and it would be wise to tackle its leader before heading back west.

But given the opportunity to rest inside somewhere and get food while I was at it, I stopped by the restaurant. I prepared myself for a Pokemon battle before opening the door, since I had a feeling the customers would all be trainers themselves. Sometimes it bugged me how you couldn't just get a meal without involving Pokemon all the time on the road.

The sign outside the place read: "SEVEN STARS RESTAURANT – More Flavor Than You Can Wish For". Just as I began to question that claim, I went to open the door when it swung open and nearly hit me in the face. Thankfully, I backed away just in time to avoid it.

"Sorry about that, I didn't- YOU!"

The voice sounded oddly familiar, and it seems the woman it belonged to had recognized me, as well. One good look at her face and I knew exactly who she was, though she'd dyed her hair red since the last time I saw her.

"Oh brother, it's you." I sighed.

I had met her for the first time outside Verity Lake, and again on my way through Mt. Coronet towards Celestic Town. She was a Team Galactic Grunt who seemed hellbent on doing away with me, though her means of accomplishing that goal were less than stellar. I just knew a Pokemon battle now was inevitable.

"I'm going to kill you this time!" She roared at me.

"Yeah, yeah." I wasn't really scared of her by now, especially since the last time I fought her she went down pretty easily. Without saying more I released Gible from his Pokeball.

"Attacking already?! Fine! Let's see you beat me this time!"

I pulled back a ways, giving my Pokemon room to fight since she hadn't moved from her spot in front of the exit to the Seven Stars Restaurant. Her first Pokemon was a flat, circular critter that had two large yellow eyes against its teal body. I pulled out my Pokedex immediately to scan it.

"Bronzor, the Bronze Pokemon. Ancient people believed that the pattern on Bronzor's back contained a mysterious power."

"Thanks for that treasure trove of useless info," I commented, taking note of her Pokemon's types.

"Prepare to die, you insolent brat! Bronzor, use Psywave!"

Bronzor's body gleamed in the sun, before a wave of pink energy shot forth and struck Gible. He seemed to resist the attack well enough, though.

"Gible, Sand Tomb!"

My Pokemon shot forth, spinning circles around the floating Bronzor and kicking up a small tornado of sand in the process. Trapped in the middle of the storm, Bronzor could do nothing but try and weather the attack.

"Now, hit him with Dragon Claw!"

Gible jumped head first into the sand tornado, and I could hear the sound of metal striking more metal. Moments later, Bronzor went flying out of the tornado, its back slashed deep from Gible's attack. The Pokemon tried to get up, but couldn't.

"How dare you! Bronzor, get back here!"

The female grunt called back her Pokemon, and Gible took his place at my side once again. Before she could even release another fighter, I called out to her.

"You know, you could just leave now. I mean, we both know I'm going to win."

"How DARE you?! Take THIS!"

She released two Pokemon at once: a Beautifly and a bat that looked a lot like a much larger Zubat. I had to scan this one quickly.

"Crobat, the Bat Pokemon. Having four wings enables it to fly faster and more quietly. It turns active when the night comes."

Her Golbat had evolved again, which made me a bit jealous. I let my mind wander to when my Pokemon would evolve as I released a second critter of my own to even the playing field. I went with Mareep, who had just recently battled but was in good shape after resting all morning.

"Both of you, Air Cutter!"

"Mareep, Thundershock! Gible, cover her!"

Both of the grunt's Pokemon dove in, but Gible stood his ground to shield Mareep. As both Pokemon launched powerful shockwaves in succession against Gible, Mareep finished charging her attack and unleashed it past Gible. It struck the two opponents easily, shocking them thoroughly until they crashed into the ground. It wasn't enough to defeat them, but I'd be finishing the job soon enough.

"Gible, Dragon Rage!"

Opening his wide mouth, Gible covered both grounded flyers with his purple flames and smoke. Beautifly was unable to get up, but Crobat managed to take to the air again and fly back towards its owner. The grunt called back Beautifly despite looking more angry than ever before.

"Two against one. Still want to fight?" I gloated.

"You win again, brat!"

Tempted though I was to put my Pokemon away, until she was gone from my sight I didn't dare try it. She'd sent her Pokemon to attack me directly in the past, and I wasn't about to give her the chance to do it again.

"You came from Veilstone City, right?" The grunt asked me.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

"I knew it. You're the one who snuck into our warehouse and released that Pokemon!"

She was of course referring to when I released Azelf earlier in the week. I hadn't even admitted that to my dad, so I wasn't about to go parading that accomplishment to this crazy person. I shrugged my shoulders instead.

"Don't know what you're talking about.

"Hmph. It doesn't matter. We'll catch it again, and then all we'll need is the last one to accomplish our mission. You'll see! I'm going to tell the boss exactly what you did!"

With a snap of her fingers, the Crobat flying beside her landed on her back, its two lower wings wrapping around her shoulders and under her arms.

"Crobat, let's get out of here!"

Flapping its two larger wings, the Pokemon lifted its trainer into the air, and within seconds they were zooming off towards the north. My guess was they were headed back to Veilstone City. Once she was out of sight, I put both Pokemon away and sighed. I wasn't worried about her telling on me; after all, she didn't even know my name. If I ran into Cyrus, he'd be able to recognize me. The only way he would know I was responsible was for both of them to be in the same place with me at the same time. As much as I wanted to continue messing with Team Galactic's plans, even I knew that battling Cyrus at this point would probably end badly for me.

"I have to get stronger," I said to myself. Ahead was the Seven Stars Restaurant, and inside I could see a number of the people there looking in my direction. They had probably seen the match between that crazy grunt and myself just now.

"Let's hope they don't want to fight, too." I sighed, and then opened the door to the place.

* * *

Lunch turned out to be another sandwich, and from my own bag rather than anything they had at the restaurant. The place was crazy expensive, and eating there would have drained my wallet of what little money I had left. I had spent more than I should have back in Veilstone City for supplies, added to the fact that I'd been dodging trainers for a while as well as not getting paid for the fights I did take. Diana aside, there was the grunt who never seemed to care about paying me for my wins. I guess when you side with Team Galactic, you're free from your obligations as a trainer.

Thankfully, there were picnic tables outside the restaurant that I could use to eat comfortably. Gible joined me of course, and all the while we looked out to Route 213 due south. It seemed that the Seven Stars Restaurant was part of a much larger resort, and it looked like it took up a good chunk of Route 213. As tempting as it was to head on down there and take a swim in the beach, I had to get going to Sunyshore City. After lunch was eaten and Gible back in his Pokeball, I headed east to Route 222. If I kept a good pace, I'd make it to the city before it got dark.

Route 222 proved to be a lot livelier than I imagined. Like what I could make out of Route 213, it was covered in beaches, and they were packed with people and trainers alike. From battles on the sand to just plain volleyball, it looked like everyone was having a blast. Even I was finding myself eager to leave the travel for tomorrow and hit up the beach. I had made sure to pack my swimsuit the last time I was in Eterna City, so all I'd have to do was find a place to change into it. There were no places to do so on the beach, so I looked on ahead until I spotted a small building on the side of the road. I could probably ask to borrow the bathroom or something to change.

There was a sign in front of the place, but I didn't bother to read it before I opened the door. A small bell informed the people inside that I had come in without permission.

"Excuse me?" I said, figuring it the least I could do to be polite after my entrance.

"Welcome! Are you here for the contest?" The voice belonged to a man, but I couldn't see where he was due to all the stuff in the place. It looked like a bunch of yellow at first, but I didn't see beyond that.

"No, I'm just here because I need to borrow a bathroom?" Actually I wanted to hear about this contest as well, but priorities!

"Oh, it's right over-"

"Wait!" Another voice cut the mystery man off. It was a woman this time. "We can't just let anyone borrow our bathroom!"

"Well, I just want to use it to change clothes?"

Finally the woman appeared from the mass of yellow... things... all over the place. She was in a yellow jumpsuit herself, with a pair of pointed ears sprouting from her head. Up close, I could tell she was dressed like a Pikachu. Why a grown woman would be dressed up like a Pikachu was another question entirely. Costumes like that were common for little kids around age four or five tops. But one big enough for a grown-up?

"This is the Pikachu Fan Club! Only diehard fans of the world's bestest Pokemon can come in here!" She announced proudly.

"Well, I like Pikachu," I told her. That much was true, even if Pikachu wasn't my favorite Pokemon in the world.

"Really? Great! Let's see your wonderful Pokemon, then!"

Without even giving me a chance to say anything, the woman fished a Pokeball from my bag (how she managed that in the span of two seconds was beyond me) and released the critter within. It hadn't been Gible's Pokeball, since his was a different color. But out from the device came Mareep in the end.

"What?! This isn't a Pikachu!" The woman scoffed.

"Yeah, she isn't. This is my Mareep."

"You said you were a fan of Pikachu!"

"I am... kinda."

"'Kinda'? Do you even HAVE a Pikachu?"

"No, but-"

"I knew it! You liar! Leave our Fan Club right now!"

"Janet! Stop bothering the girl at once!"

The man who had first talked to me finally emerged from somewhere in the sea of yellow. It was only then that I realized it was all Pikachu memorabilia. These people weren't kidding when they said they were fans of Pikachu.

"Hmph!" The woman vanished into the yellow mass once again.

"I'm sorry about her. She can get a bit worked up. You just needed to borrow the bathroom, right? It's over there."

The man pointed it out on the other side of the sea of yellow stuff. Knowing that Janet the Pikachu woman was somewhere out there didn't instill much confidence in me, though.

"Is Pikachu all you guys like?"

"Not really. We like the other stages of Pikachu's evolution, too. But It's hard to deny how wonderful Pikachu is as a Pokemon! Sadly, you can only catch them here in Sinnoh if you find one on Route 212. It's been a long time since any have been spotted in the wild, though."

"I didn't know that. I thought they weren't native here." I said. The most frequent place people went to for Pikachu in all the mainland was Viridian Forest in the Kanto region. In fact, to claim you got a Pikachu anywhere else would often get you strange looks from other people.

"Well, because of that, we can't really spread our love of Pikachu much. We've been thinking of moving our organization to another region instead."

"I'm sure if you go to Kanto you'll get tons of members!"

"We already have a branch there. Even if it's harder, we were thinking of going to Unova instead. Pikachu aren't native there at all."

Talk about going the extra mile. I knew that Unova was unique in the sense that Pokemon in the region were particular; it was hard to find anything there that also lived elsewhere in the world. That knowledge is what made me want to go there after I finished my journey in Sinnoh.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about Janet. I'll scold her if she bothers you again. She's just a kid, after all."

"A... kid?" The woman who had stopped me was more than five feet tall. I hadn't gotten a good look at her face because I had been distracted by her Pikachu outfit, but there was no way she was just a "kid".

"Oh, right. She had on that costume! Don't worry, she's harmless, really. Aren't you, Janet?"

The man called out over his shoulder, and moments later someone emerged. Same Pikachu costume, only now a fraction of the size; smaller than me!

"What the-?!"

"This is Janet. She's one of our most passionate members!"

The "Janet" at the man's side was clearly not the same woman I'd seen moments ago. Or was she? I admit I hadn't gotten a good look at her, since the costume itself was so distracting. But now, she was about four inches shorter than I was, still clad in a Pikachu jumpsuit with ears and all. If I wasn't so confused by the whole switcheroo, I'd even go so far as to call her cute.

"I'm sorry I said those things." The girl apologized with her head down, kicking at the floor as she did.

"Uhh... no problem...?"

"In fact, just to make sure there are no hurt feelings, how about we give you something?"

"That's not-"

The man reached back into the mass of yellow that was the rest of the house or building (I honestly didn't know anymore) and pulled out a round object (it was also yellow). He forced it into my hands.

"Is this a Pokemon egg?"

"Yes it is! Of course, you know what kind of Pokemon will hatch from there some day!"

"Yeah, I think I have an idea. Are you sure this is okay? I mean, you didn't have to-"

"It's fine! This is one of the ways we spread our love of Pikachu throughout the world! Please be sure to take care of it!"

The whole meeting had become so weird that I just thanked them for the gift and walked out. Gone was my desire to take a dip in the ocean outside; I just wanted to put some distance between myself and this place. I still had the Pikachu egg in my hands, so I carefully put it into my bag. Because of everything else in there, I couldn't stuff it all the way in. I'd have to either get a larger bag in Sunyshore City, or find some other way of carrying the egg around. I couldn't just hand it back to them, either.

With a sigh, I took one last look at the beach before pressing on to Sunyshore City. I had to wonder if this is what it felt like for a mother of a baby when they had to give up a fun time to look after the baby? I then found myself screaming:

"I'm only ten! I'm too young to be a mommy!"

* * *

To Mom:

I got a Pokemon egg today. I didn't even ask for it, but here it is. I wish I could leave it home with you, but I'm no where near you.


	19. An Electrifying Encounter

An Electrifying Encounter, Chapter XIX

* * *

It was dark by the time I got to Sunyshore City. Therefore, my first goal was to get to the Pokemon Center to sleep. It didn't seem so at first, but the Pokemon egg I'd gotten back at the Pikachu Fan Club was weighing me down a ton. For the first time ever my shoulder was killing me where my bag had been pulling down on it. I had to get rid of this Pokemon egg as soon as possible. Donation was even a valid option as I dragged my feet through Sunyshore City.

It's not that I was against having a new Pokemon, especially one that I didn't even have to work for. But even when the Pokemon was born, it wasn't going to be easy to train. Add to that the fact that I already had an Electric type on my team and there's really no reason for me to keep the egg. By this point I was convincing myself that it was okay to dump the egg on someone else. But who I did it to was just as important. I guess it felt like my responsibility to make sure whomever I gave the Pikachu egg to, they'd look after it.

Sunyshore City was something entirely different than any other city I'd seen so far. It was built along the very edge of the continent, so many of the buildings were actually on tiny islands off the coast or even spires of rock jutting out of the ocean. However, it was all connected with long, blue walkways that gracefully hung over the ocean. Even in the dark of night I knew what these walkways also doubled for. They were solar panels, meant to catch the rays of the sun during the day to power the city. Add to that various turbines to utilize the ocean for electricity, and the city was a model of renewable, clean energy. All stuff I'd read about in school but never cared to give much importance until now. It was one thing to read about eco-friendly architecture and planning; another entirely to see it myself.

Of course, without the power of the sun most of the city was actually pretty dark after sunset. The walkways were all lined with multiple, durable rails, and they had tiny lights to guide people even on the darkest of nights. Because of the way the city was constructed, cars weren't allowed here at all. That also added to the serenity of the place. The only thing I could hear aside from the occasional murmur of passersby was the crashing of the ocean below.

And yet, the Pokemon Center in Sunyshore was no different than any other in the world. Or at least from the ones I'd seen. My first stop was with Nurse Joy, so I handed her my Pokemon (save for the heavy egg) and then went to crash on a couch in the lobby. The relief I felt when I didn't have to lug that egg around anymore for the rest of the day was beyond words. I closed my eyes and leaned back, taking nice slow breaths.

"Long day?" Someone asked beside me.

"Yeah. Battles, tons of walking, and then carrying a really heavy egg half the way here."

"Poor baby. Shame Mom isn't around to carry you."

My eyes shot open. Just who did this person think he was?! I turned to face the rude individual, only to have my mouth go wide when I saw who it was.

"Lucas?!"

It was none other than my elder brother. The last time I'd seen him was just a week or so after starting my journey. I'd gone with him to Iron Island north of Canalave City, and then left him there after catching Mawile and making it back to the dock before the ferry left. He hadn't been happy about that...

"How's it goin', Mia? Or should I say... traitor!" His hands shot for my sides, poking me with an intense force that had me doubling in over in a combination of pain and giggles. I had always been immensely ticklish, and my elder siblings had often abused that fact to torture me in a way that never really felt like torture.

"I didn't do anything!" I managed between bouts of laughter, finally dragging myself away from him. I crashed onto the floor, scurrying away from him without a care for my modesty in the process.

"You left me on Iron Island! I had to wait there all day for the ferry to come back!"

"Oh, that..." Of course he was talking about that. I just had to act the fool.

"Whatever. I know you don't care, anyway. You didn't beat Byron, did you?"

I hadn't, and after my failure I'd sent him a message warning him- or admitting that- Byron had been a challenging Gym Leader. I wasn't about to admit that I'd failed, of course. Even if Byron was my first battle with a Gym Leader.

"Did you?" I asked in return.

Lucas smiled, showing me the badge he'd received. It was one of seven badges he had pinned to his jacket, all of them shining under the direct light above us.

"Just missing the Beacon Badge from Volkner. After that I have to head north to Victory Road."

"Wow... I can't believe you're done!"

"Almost," he said, rubbing his nose. "Volkner is probably the toughest Gym Leader in the region. At worst he's only a little weaker than Byron. It's going to be a tough one."

Volkner specialized in Electric Pokemon, which actually worked to my advantage. Gible was not only part Dragon (which resisted Electric attacks), but part Ground which nullified them completely. Short of Volkner pulling out strange type combinations, I had nothing to worry about when facing him. And now that Lucas was here, chances were I'd be facing him with Lucas as a spectator. I couldn't afford to lose in front of my brother.

"Are you goin' to challenge him too?"

I nodded at the question. "Of course! I need the Beacon Badge, too!"

"How many badges do you have?"

I hesitated at first, and even considered lying. But I knew that if I did, he'd just tell me to prove it and be caught in the lie. Which was worse. So I sucked it up and told him the truth.

"Three."

"That's all? And you're going to challenge Volkner already? Good luck!" Lucas laughed, drawing some attention to us. I felt my cheeks redden a bit; I hadn't been belittled by any of my siblings like this in some time.

"I'll win! You'll see, stupid!"

Lucas calmed his laughter easily. "Yeah, I guess you will. You're going to use Gible, aren't you? He is part Ground, so it should be an easy fight for you."

I was left a bit speechless, since he had already guessed my strategy. I guess it wasn't that big a surprise; if you had a Pokemon that could render your opponent's attacks useless, why not use them? Same way trainers would use Pokemon that had the type advantage all the time to ensure victory. I wouldn't have any real advantages over Volkner outside my immunity to Electric attacks.

Without saying another word, I sat down again next to Lucas. I used my bag as a shield to protect my right side from any future tickle attacks.

"So how was your adventure here from Canalave?" I asked, making small talk and being genuinely curious.

"Not too bad. I stopped by this really cool place on the way called the Solaceon Ruins. It's near Solaceon Town, of course. I caught a Pokemon there, but I don't know if I'll ever use it."

"Oh? Why not?"

"It only has one move, and it's not very strong. He looks cool, but that's really it." He shrugged.

"I know how you feel. I also caught a Pokemon just yesterday that only has one attack."

"Really? I'd challenge you to a battle, but I'm tired from walking all day."

"Me too. Did you eat dinner yet?"

Lucas shook his head.

"Want to go get something together? I'll pay, to say sorry for leaving you on Iron Island before."

To my surprise, Lucas smiled at the offer before turning it down. "It's okay. I caught something there, too. So it was worth staying on the island. We each pay for our own food."

"Works for me!" I said.

* * *

Being a seaside town, Sunyshore City had an abundance of seafood dishes. We decided to go cheap and just eat at a noodle place that specialized in various kinds of fish. Even then it wasn't that cheap, but I didn't regret spending the money I did. Even if my wallet was growing light, I made sure not to let Lucas notice. He talked the entire time about what had happened at the Solaceon Ruins, and honestly it was quite a tale. The power of strange, uncommon Pokemon was something I'd experienced myself not too long ago. I just wish I had stopped by myself. When Lucas had asked me if anything noteworthy happened on my own travels, I turned him down.

"Really? Just plain old Pokemon battles all along the way?"

I couldn't tell him about my frequent run-ins with Team Galactic. I couldn't tell him about meeting Cynthia at Celestic Town. I honestly didn't want to mention Sendoff Spring, thinking it might be one of those places better seen than explained. And I couldn't tell him about the Pokemon Azelf and Mesprit, since it related to the fact that Team Galactic was involved. So from his point of view, my adventure had been frightfully dull.

"You really should take more time out there. It's not worth it if all you're doing is running from gym to gym, you know?"

"Well I do want to get all my badges before the tournament starts!"

"Listen, just because you get them all in time doesn't mean you'll be ready for the battles. These are the best trainers in the region, sometimes the best trainers from other regions, too."

"What are you trying to say? That I'm not good enough?" I shot back.

"Probably not. So don't rush it to get those badges."

Of course, that's where the conversation ended. I paid for my food and left him there. He had some nerve to tell me that, and no doubt think himself up for the challenge. I went back to the Pokemon Center after that, choosing a nice spot on the second floor to call a bed for the night. I didn't want to talk to Lucas again, at least not that night.

The next morning we left the Center together, both of us headed for the same place. Lucas didn't say a word the entire time, and I didn't either. I think we both understood that the silence between us was something sacred for the time being. What's more, I was determined to go first against the Gym Leader. I didn't want Lucas showing off in front of me, and then critiquing my technique afterward. I would take out Volkner in record time, and then leave Lucas behind again. And all the while I continued to carry that heavy Pokemon egg in my bag. In my huff the previous night, I hadn't looked for someone to give the Pokemon away to.

The Sunyshore Gym was on the far northern end of the city, so it took almost an hour to walk there. To be honest we'd taken a couple wrong turns, and ended up walking in circles because of it. Neither of us wanted to admit we'd made the mistake, and therefore the other didn't want to admit they were just following the leader. Honestly, walking next to someone without saying anything was quite exhausting. Still, we finally arrived at the building.

Gyms were a reflection of not only the type of Pokemon the Leader was supposed to use, but also the Leader themselves. I'd seen Byron's metallic arena, Gardenia's greenhouse; even Maylene who had been handed her job the day before I challenged her had already been looking for ways to make it her own. Since Electric type Pokemon were strange in and of themselves, I didn't know what to expect from the gym's setting. I didn't know what to expect from the Leader himself.

The interior of the gym was like being inside a giant clock. All around me I could see massive metal gears, turning slowly in place and causing the gears next to them to move in sync. Both the floor and the walls were like this, the occasional metal rod sticking out and emitting sparks of electricity. In short, it was a sight to behold. Almost a masterpiece of craftsmanship. I couldn't help but be in awe.

However, the Leader was no where to be seen. Not at first; there was a chair where he would have been seated on the other side, but he wasn't there. Just as I was about to break the silence between myself and Lucas, I took a look around to find someone on the ground next to the entrance. He was seated with his back to the wall, his blond hair spiked as if he'd been struck by a lightning bold and sporting a jacket in a killer shade of blue. I had half a mind to ask him where he'd gotten it. I knew instantly who he was.

"You're the Gym Leader, right? Volkner?"

The young man looked up at me, his eyes lifeless. At first I thought he wasn't feeling well, looking the way he did. I stepped around so I was in front of him, and dropped to my knees.

"Are you okay?"

He chuckled at my show of concern, but didn't say anything.

"You're not hurt, right?"

He responded with a silent shake of his head. I began to wonder if he had trouble speaking, or was perhaps mute? I had never heard that in my research of the Gym Leaders of the region, but it certainly wasn't impossible.

"Well, if you're not hurt... I guess I'm here to challenge you to a battle. My name is Mia Caelum."

I offered him my hand, figuring it a polite gesture. He didn't take it, and what's more he chuckled again. Before I could ask him what was so funny, he actually said something.

"Denied."

"Huh?"

"Your battle. Denied."

Was he allowed to do that? I was honestly at a loss for words. In the meantime, Volkner looked up at Lucas, who had been standing there silently all this time.

"You here for the same thing?" Volkner asked him.

"Yeah. Lucas Caelum, I'm her older brother."

"Denied."

Lucas was just as shocked when he got the same message. Volkner's job apparently done, he leaned back against the wall again and sighed.

"What is your problem?" I asked, feeling a bit insulted by this whole mess.

"Hmm?" Volkner replied with all the enthusiasm of a Slakoth.

"We both came here to challenge you to a battle! You can't just turn us away like this!"

"Actually, I can. And I did. So go."

I stood up, pointing my right index finger directly at him. "Listen here, you punk! I challenge you to a match! I need that badge, and I'm not going to let you stop me from taking on the Elite Four, got it?!"

At the mention of the Elite Four, I saw a change in Volkner's eyes. It was as if something inside him finally turned on, and it reflected in his eyes. He even rose from his spot on the floor. Now that he was upright, he was actually quite a bit taller than me. This wasn't a major feat, since (much as I hate to admit it) I was pretty short. Mom always said I was still growing, though.

"You know, I wanted to challenge them, too." He said.

"Huh? The Elite Four?"

Volkner nodded, so I continued, "But you have, right? That's how you became the Gym Leader here."

"That's right. When I battled the Elite Four was the last time I really had fun in a Pokemon battle. Ever since they gave me this job it's been nothing but boredom. Day in, day out."

"But... you're the Gym Leader. Aren't you getting challenged every day?"

Volkner sighed. "If you even call them battles. I haven't awarded many badges all season. Last year, I probably handed out a dozen, tops. Trainers aren't what they used to be."

"Is that supposed to scare us? I mean, they say you're the toughest of the Gym Leaders in Sinnoh, but you're still just a Gym Leader. Even the Elite Four is better than you!"

This time, rather than a chuckle, Volkner actually laughed a little. That kind of perfectly timed laughter to throw you off your game. And it had thrown me off.

"I beat them them all before I became Gym Leader, you know. Didn't even break a sweat."

"N-No way..."

"Both of you were probably still babies back then. The Elite Four was different back then, too. But even after I beat them all, I lost to Cynthia."

So Cynthia had been the Champion for a long time. When had she achieved that? Just how old was she?

"It sucked, you know? Losing to a little girl like her. Hardly seemed like she could throw a Pokeball, but she wiped the floor with me. But she was impressed, for what it was worth. And she gave me a job. Master of this gym."

Hearing Volkner refer to Cynthia in that manner only confused me further. She looked young (despite being a grown-up already), so I had to guess she was in her mid-twenties? I wasn't great at judging ages, but there was no way she was like ten or twelve when Volkner challenged her and lost.

"So why do you want to challenge the Elite Four again?" The question came from Lucas, and snapped me from my thoughts regarding Cynthia.

"It's no fun fighting loser trainers all the time. Even if they win, it just isn't fun. I built this gym myself, you know. Out of boredom."

It was all I could do not to let my wonder and admiration show. If this entire clockwork structure was handmade by him, maybe he should consider a career change. The place was a sight to behold.

"So like I said, denied. I don't feel like dealing with a couple kid trainers. Scram."

Before Volkner could just walk off on us, I stopped him with the palm of my hand on his chest.

" _We_ challenge you to a battle," I said, throwing my brother a glance. "Two-on-one. How's that?"

"Mia, I don't think that's allowed." Lucas pointed out.

"Maybe, but I don't think Volk here will mind," I said, giving the blond Gym Leader a fiendish smirk. "You said you were bored, right? How about a little handicap match to see if we can't help you out?"

Lucas was about to protest again when a smile crept up on Volkner's face.

"I accept your challenge. Two-on-one, four Pokemon battle. Of course, that means you can only choose four Pokemon between the two of you."

"Deal!" I agreed before Lucas could even protest. This was apparently the only way we were going to get a match out of this guy, so it's not like he could really say anything. And the four Pokemon restriction on our part was just fair rules, after all. Not that I expected to use any Pokemon besides Gible.

"Okay. I'll get my Pokemon. I'm going to unleash everything in my arsenal on you."

Volkner went out of hearing range, allowing Lucas to at last come down on me for everything I'd said in the past few minutes. Starting with the fact that we were going into the match with quite the handicap.

"Two Pokemon? I can probably win even with that but can you?" Lucas said, as if he was so much better than I was.

"I'll show you!" I snapped back, crossing my arms. "Plus, it was the only way we could fight! You saw how he didn't even want to challenge us."

"He didn't want to challenge _you_ , baby sister."

I could have pointed out to my idiot brother that he had also been turned down, but it would only be wasting precious time on a pointless argument.

"Forget it! We're going to have to work together here, so I need to know what kinds of Pokemon you're going to use. He said we could only use four Pokemon, but we could split it three and one if we want."

"If you need that many Pokemon just to-"

"Shut _UP_!" I screamed, catching him off guard. "Do you have to be such a complete butthole about this?! I don't want to lose, and I don't care how good you think you are! I want us to work together so we can win, okay? Can you please just shut up about everything else for now?"

Lucas was clearly stunned, I could see it on his face. He looked away for a moment, and then reached for two different Pokeballs on his belt.

"I'll start with Grotle. He's a Grass type, so Volkner's attacks shouldn't hurt him too much."

"Okay. I'm using Gible. If I have to, I also have Mareep. What about you?"

"I have a Ghost Pokemon. We'll win, no problem." He said, that smug look back on his face. Volkner would be back any second, so before that I took the chance to apologize.

"I'm sorry. About what I called you. You just get me so mad when you treat me like a baby!"

"Yeah? I'm sorry, too. Bad habit." The fact that Lucas admitted to that much was enough for me at the moment. At the end of the day we were still siblings, and the last thing I wanted was to to cause a rift between us. We'd already fought enough since running into each other here in Sunyshore City.

"Oh,and don't tell Mom, okay? About the bad word." I added in a hushed tone, feeling my cheeks flush. If we had been back home, Mom would have shoved a bar of soap into my mouth for daring to say that.

"Bad word? You got it wrong, stupid. It's-"

"You two ready?" Volkner called out, having just returned from deeper within the gym. He had on a bandoleer of all things, four Pokeballs fastened to it and prominently displayed for us to see. Two Pokeballs at the ready, we all threw them onto the field at the same time. I produced my Pokedex to scan his critters as soon as they materialized.

"Jolteon, the Lightning Pokemon. It controls 10,000-volt power and can raise all the fur on its body as if it were sharp needles."

From beside me, I could hear Lucas' Pokedex chiming in about about the other Pokemon on the field.

"Raichu, the Mouse Pokemon. It can loose 100,000-volt bursts of electricity, instantly downing foes several times its size."

Basically, he had a couple of really charged Pokemon at his side. Unfortunately for him, Gible was immune to his attacks, and Grotle would at the very least resist them. Despite this, Volkner didn't seem the least bit phased by the odds stacked against him. I guess it would be really poor form for him to appear distressed before the match even began.

"I'll let you two go first. Hit me with your best." He stated, leaning against a far end wall from where we were standing. I looked over at Lucas, who shrugged before issuing his command.

"Grotle, use Razor Leaf!"

"Gible, Dragon Rage!"

Grotle shook his entire body, causing the bushes on its back to rustle loudly and loose dozens of leaves that went flying towards our opponents. Gible meanwhile closed the distance a bit to blast both Pokemon with his purple flame breath attack.

"Quick Attack." Volkner said calmly.

Both his Pokemon took steps in opposite directions, vanishing from sight just seconds before our attacks landed. Having missed, we were about to issue more commands when the two Pokemon reappeared beside our own. Raichu had targeted Gible, slamming into him from behind and then wrapping his tail around my Pokemon. Jolteon had crashed directly into Grotle's face, the fur all over its body sticking out on end and looking more like a body of sharp needles than anything else.

"Iron Tail and Focus Blast!"

Without missing a beat, the tips of Jolteon's fur-spikes glistened a shade of gray. The yellow Pokemon spun around in place, slicing through Grotle with such speed and ferocity that it's a wonder he wasn't knocked out in a single blow. Meanwhile, Raichu used his grip on Gible to hold him in place while a wave of red energy blasted from Raichu's body. The blow sent my Pokemon flying through the air, landing somewhere near Volkner himself.

Gible didn't look too injured, but Grotle had taken quite a pounding from Jolteon. It didn't matter that we technically had an advantage over Volkner; he was doing just fine without even using a single Electric type attack.

"Grotle, Mega Drain!"

"Gible, Take Down!"

"Thunder Wave!"

Despite issuing a single order, both of Volkner's Pokemon obeyed without question. Gible was immune to the attack, but the waves of electrical interference gave the chubby Raichu enough of an opening to sidestep Gible's attack. The same attack from Jolteon seemed to cancel out Grotle's own skill, leaving Lucas' Pokemon just as weak as before.

"Quick Attack!"

The name didn't do it justice. No sooner had the sound of Volkner's voice died down that Jolteon had crashed into Grotle again, knocking him out cold for good. Same went for Raichu, who had found his way behind Gible and tackled him hard, sending him rolling back in my direction. All the while, Volkner retained his uninterested expression as the battle raged. It wasn't just because it was going in his favor; to him, this was hardly worth getting excited over.

"Grotle, return." Lucas said weakly. His Pokemon was returned to the safety of the round device, leaving Gible out there all alone.

"Gible, come back here for a second!"

Shaking off the latest attack, Gible trotted over as quickly as his stubby legs could take him. Volkner made no effort to stop my Pokemon, and his Jolteon put some distance between us. I looked to Lucas, who was taking this setback pretty hard by the look of it.

"That other Pokemon of yours, think it can guard Gible for a minute?" I whispered to him.

"Huh? Why?"

"I have a plan. But we need both of his Pokemon to be together and not attacking mine. Can you do it?"

Lucas clearly wanted to protest, to ask more about this mystery plan of mine. But silently he nodded, agreeing to both it and the fact that his Pokemon could shield mine. With a flick of his wrist the Pokeball flew into the middle of the field, releasing a small purple critter with creepy, gem-shaped eyes. I scanned it quickly before the battle continued.

"Sableye, the Darkness Pokemon. It hides in the darkness of caves. Its diet of gems has transformed its eyes into gemstones."

"Creepy... is that what you caught on Iron Island?"

"Less talk, more fight," Lucas snapped, just before Volkner ordered the next wave of pain.

"Charge Beam!"

Standing next to one another, both of Volkner's Pokemon began to glow as their bodies began a massive build-up of electrical energy. Gible wouldn't be harmed by the attack, but then again he wasn't the target. Volkner was looking to be rid of Sableye in a single shot. But now that his Pokemon were still was my only chance.

"Gible, Draco Meteor!"

My Pokemon looked back at me for a split second, stunned I had ordered that. Still, he began his own build-up of energy, focusing his sights on the two Pokemon ahead of him. At that moment, Jolteon and Raichu both unleashed their blasts of electrical energy.

"Sableye, Detect!"

In the instant he would have been struck, Sableye seemed to move ever so slightly, somehow squeezing between the two beams of electrical energy and allowing them to zip right past him. The attacks missed Gible by quite a bit as well, and struck the wall of the gym somewhere to my right. At that moment, Gible roared as loud as he could, causing a storm cloud of sorts to form above the field. From it the familiar meteorite attack slammed into the same spot where both of Volkner's Pokemon were, engulfing them in dark flames and smoke. For the first time since we started the match, Volkner had been caught by surprise.

Gible collapsed on the ground, exhausted from using the attack. I didn't move to recall him, though, until the smoke dissipated from his attack. Both of Volkner's Pokemon were down, but not completely knocked out. It would be foolish to keep them in the fight, but I had no way of knowing if Volkner actually would. Honestly, using Draco Meteor had been my trump card, and I couldn't help but feel I'd played it too soon.

"Sableye, Fury Swipes!"

Lucas' Pokemon darted across to where the opponents were, and with blinding speed finished them both off with a series of swipes. It was a good call on his part, since Volkner had planned to keep using them in the fight. But now that they were both down, he had no choice but to call them back. I had to do the same for Gible, since he couldn't possibly keep fighting after that. We were two-for-two, but I had a feeling Volkner had saved his best Pokemon for last. We had forced him into this. Moments later, his final two Pokemon were out. I scanned one, while Lucas scanned the other.

"Electivire, the Thunderbolt Pokemon. Heedless of enemy attacks, it closes in, shoves its tails onto the foe, then looses high voltage."

"Luxray, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon. It has eyes which can see through anything. It spots and captures prey hiding behind objects."

The slightest smirk appeared on Volkner's face. He was enjoying himself, if only a little. He probably hadn't fought like this in quite some time, like he said before. The problem now was the Pokemon we had left. By now, I'd released Mareep to fight alongside Lucas' Sableye, but it certainly looked like we were outmatched. If Volkner went with a physical approach again, Mareep wouldn't stand a chance. I couldn't speak for Sableye, but the Pokemon certainly didn't look too hardy. I didn't want to admit it, or even think about it: we were going to lose.

"Roar and Thunder Punch!"

"Mareep, Cotton Spore!"

"Sableye, Detect!"

The commands were out, but we were in for a nasty surprise. Luxray managed to act first, unleashing a piercing roar that caused us both to cover our ears. Both our Pokemon flinched, while Electivire rushed the closest target: Sableye. Reeling back its fist, the Pokemon delivered a powerful, electrically charged blow to Lucas' Pokemon. I expected Sableye to go flying off in some direction, but the Pokemon stood its ground! Unfortunately, the electrical attack consumed his body, and rather than fly off, Sableye merely collapsed on the ground in front of us.

"Sableye, get up!" Lucas called, but his Pokemon did not respond. One punch, and he was out of the match. Lucas sucked in a breath, and called back his Pokemon.

Whether I liked it or not, it was now down to Mareep to finish the fight. And I knew my Pokemon didn't stand a chance against these two. I swallowed hard, looking over my Pokedex for some kind of idea on how to proceed.

"Time to end this. Electivire, Giga Impact!"

There wasn't a huge distance between Electivire and Mareep; I'd have less than ten seconds to come up with some kind of countermeasure, if such a thing even existed. Volkner's Pokemon began to charge Mareep, and at that moment I saw it: my last chance to turn this fight around.

"Mareep, Confuse Ray!"

From my point of view, I couldn't quite tell what happened immediately after. There may have been a quick flash of light, but Electivire came charging so fast I wasn't sure if it was part of the Pokemon letting off sparks or if Mareep's attack had worked. Being slow as she was, Mareep wouldn't be able to dodge if Confuse Ray failed. Electivire closed the distance in an instant, and then charged right past my Pokemon. A bit more and he was past me, and then he crashed right into the wall behind us. The impact was so great he left a great hole, but not quite deep enough to see outside the gym. Volkner was left stunned at the outcome.

"Luxray, Crunch!"

With Electivire out of commission for the moment, his other Pokemon darted across the field to Mareep. I wasn't sure if the same trick would work a second time, but I had no other choice. I was certain even that move would knock out Mareep in a single blow. Before I could say anything-

There was another Pokemon on the field. He materialized between Mareep and Luxray, and took the brunt of the attack for my Pokemon. It belonged to Lucas, and for brief moment I thought he had ruined our chances of victory. If he broke the rules of the match, we'd be disqualified on the spot. But it wasn't a new Pokemon; it was his Grotle, somehow back on his feet after his fight moments ago. That wouldn't last, however; Luxray's attack struck hard, and what little energy Lucas' Pokemon had left was completely gone now.

"Impressive. I didn't think your Pokemon was so sturdy." Volkner exclaimed from his end of the field.

I looked to Lucas, who nodded in turn. He had bought me one more chance at a victory. I couldn't squander it.

"Mareep, Take Down!"

Perhaps invigorated by Grotle's bravery, Mareep leaped higher than ever before, over Grotle and down on Luxray, slamming the Pokemon into the ground. Of course, even then Mareep wouldn't be able to finish Luxray in a single move. Volkner's Pokemon snapped back, throwing Mareep off him as he stood back up. At that instant, the Pokemon let out a sharp cry of pain. Luxray tried to move from his position, but couldn't. His tail had become trapped between a pair of gears that made up the floor! My plan had worked!

"Mareep, Tackle him now!"

My sheep began her charge, and I thought this would be it. Trapped in one spot, there was no way Luxray could fight back.

"Ice Fang!"

Mareep crashed into Luxray, and in return Volkner's Pokemon bit down hard at her neck, a blast of cold air shooting my Pokemon back and crashing her against Grotle, who remained fainted nearby. I resisted the impulse to run to Mareep's side, but I could tell she was hurt bad by the Ice attack. I wasn't sure if she could keep fighting.

We were at a stalemate, I thought. Behind us, Electivire was still out cold, having collided with such force against the wall. Grotle was out cold, and while Mareep didn't look capable of holding out for much longer, she was still conscious. Luxray was clearly in better shape, but sadly trapped in one spot and unable to give chase. And as such, Luxray had no other means of attack. Unlike most Electric types, Luxray was entirely dependent on its speed and fangs to win. Short of Volkner having taught his Pokemon a long-distance attack, there was nothing any of us could do right now.

This stalemate persisted for the moment. While I could still order Mareep to attack, doing so would only exhaust her further. I wanted to be absolutely sure Luxray wouldn't pull some trump card to win the match. It's a wonder I could hear anything with my heartbeat pulsing in my ears. After a few more seconds, Volkner spoke up.

"Shocking," he said, stepping out onto the field. "I didn't see this coming."

"What are you doing?" I asked, stunned that he'd break an unspoken rule about entering the battlefield.

"You've got me beat. Luxray really can't do anything else stuck like this. And while your Pokemon doesn't look too well, she can still keep fighting at a distance."

He had a point. It wouldn't have taken me long to conclude he had nothing left to use, in which case I would have had Mareep slowly but surely finish Luxray off with Thundershock skills.

"I felt it during the match," Volkner continued. "Your desire to win. And how your Pokemon battled so nobly for the both of you. Especially Grotle."

That last comment was directed to Lucas, of course. I wanted to say he hadn't done much, but the fact was without his assistance, I wouldn't have been able to manage on my own. Knowing Volkner's four Pokemon now, if it had been four of my own against his, I would have lost.

"Thanks," Lucas said, looking a bit flushed. I had never seen my brother embarrassed by a compliment before.

Now that it seemed the battle was over, Volker recalled both his Pokemon, freeing the poor Luxray from being trapped in the middle of the field. As cool as it was, it was also rather dangerous for some kinds of Pokemon. I had to figure Volkner never expected his own Pokemon to become hindered by the gears that made up the field. Both Lucas and I called back our Pokemon, and approached the leader somewhere in the center of the field.

"It was a good battle. A very good battle." Volkner said, a smile now plain on his face. He reached into his pocket and produced a pair of badges. He dropped one in my hand, and one for Lucas.

"The Beacon Badge. You've earned this."

"Thanks!" I took the badge and wasted no time slapping it onto my ID. Lucas just held onto his, as if he couldn't believe it was finally his. I figured I'd be the same way when I got my final badge some day.

"Oh, wait! Can I give you something?" I chimed in, suddenly remembering the heavy item in my bag.

"Give me something...?" Volkner repeated, clearly confused. Before he could say anything else, I reached into my overly heavy bag and produced the item that had been causing me nothing but grief since getting it. I passed the Pokemon egg to Volkner.

"This is a Pokemon egg. Pikachu?"

"Should be! I got it from the fan club outside the city."

"I can't take this. It might not be born yet, but it's your Pokemon."

"Actually, because it's not born yet, you can have it. I know it sounds mean, but I don't think I can be a very good mommy to a baby Pokemon right now. I'm kinda wanting to train only stronger Pokemon, you know?"

Actually, now that it was out in the open it probably made me sound worse. Still, what was done was done, so I braced myself for something of a backlash from both Volkner and Lucas. I even thought Lucas would complain about my not giving _him_ the egg. But Lucas ultimately said nothing, and Volkner took the egg from my hands.

"Very well. I'll look after this Pokemon. Maybe now my days here won't be so boring."

"That's the spirit!" I cheered. A badge and no more heavy Pokemon egg; I couldn't be happier at that moment.

* * *

It was just past noon, and the two of us were sitting in the Pokemon Center lobby. Our Pokemon were being treated in the machine, except for Grotle. Nurse Joy insisted that she examine him closely, so she had vanished behind the O.R. doors, leaving a Chansey behind to watch the counter.

"I'm sure he'll be okay," I said. We had just gotten lunch, the two of us starved from the tense match. Lucas hadn't touched his food at all, though.

"I'm not worried about him. I know the nurse'll take good care of him."

"Then why so glum, big bro? Cheer up! We won! And you got your last badge, right?" I practically beamed at this point. Why Lucas was being such a stick in the mud was beyond me. I slurped my noodles noisily.

"I didn't think we'd win," he said, maintaining his glum look.

"Me either. I think we won by dumb luck alone, you know? But hey! A win's a win, right?"

Lucas looked at me, and for the first time since leaving the Sunyshore Gym I felt my glee evaporate into thin air.

"Luck isn't going to save you when you get to the tournament, you know."

"I'm not stupid, stupid. I know that!"

His attitude was beginning to tick me off, but before I could say anything else he stood up from his seat.

"Soon as Nurse Joy gives me back my Pokemon, we're heading up to Victory Road. We need to get stronger, better."

I slurped more noodles, admiring his resolve but still feeling like he was showing off. Lucas could have a flair for the dramatic, a trait he shared with Iris, though she was much better at it. He looked back down at me, and then started walking for the exit.

"Where are you going?"

"Buy some things. It's going to be a long month on Victory Road."

With that, Lucas left. It would be the last time I saw him for a very, very long time.

Not long after he left, Chansey trotted over and returned my Pokemon. I gave the nurse cap-wearing Pokemon a pat, and then stepped outside the Center. I couldn't see Lucas anywhere, but I expected as much. I sighed, wondering if I should chase after my brother to say good-bye. Unlike him, I wouldn't be allowed to enter Victory Road until I collected my last four badges.

"See ya, Lucas. Maybe we'll battle each other at the tournament." I said aloud, a breeze passing by me as I did. I hoped the wind would carry my message to him.

* * *

 _From Lucas:_

 _Thanks for helping us win that battle. And you're welcome for my help too. When we see each other again, we'll have that battle to see which of us is the best. Promise._


	20. A Brief Beach Resort

A Brief Beach Resort, Chapter XX

* * *

Route 213, which connected the Valor Lakefront with Pastoria City to the west. But more importantly than that was the Hotel Grand Lake, a huge resort that took up the better part of the route. If only every route had a place like this!

Of course, even if I wanted to stay there I wouldn't be able to. Volkner had paid quite well even for a Gym Leader, but that hardly covered the cost of a single night's stay. The sun was beginning to set as well by the time I got there, so I'd have to find a place to camp out. It was during my rounds through the hotel grounds that I ran into one of the last people I expected to see. Not because I had no idea where she had been traveling through recently, but because she was hanging around a route so close to the ocean.

"Hey!" I yelled out to her, drawing the attention of not only her but most of the crowd around us. It was Kaitlin, whom I hadn't seen in person since Verity Lake.

"Hey, Mia! It's been so long!" She gave me a quick hug in the middle of the road, and then we moved off to a side as to keep the rest of conversation private.

"I never heard from you after you passed that message to the professor."

"Sorry, things got a little crazy for me. And you? What are you doing here?"

"On my way to Pastoria City for my next badge! But what about you? I thought you were afraid of water?"

My old friend moved to shush me, but I was certain at least one or two passersby heard me. _What could it possibly matter_ , I thought, before Kaitlin answered.

"I was going to Valor Lake, to check on the Pokemon there. Have you heard anything about Team Galactic?"

"They caught the Pokemon from that lake, too."

I quickly gave Kaitlin a recap of the events in Veilstone City. I hadn't told Lucas or Diana, but since Kaitlin was in on Team Galactic's plans to some extent, there was no harm in sharing it with her. Once I told her how I'd released the Pokemon Azelf, Kaitlin looked extremely proud of me.

"That's great! But they still have Mesprit, don't they?"

"They might have them both again," I said with a sad sigh. "I don't think Team Galactic would allow the Pokemon to go very far before they caught it again."

"You're right... So why didn't you catch it?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah! What better way to keep the Pokemon safe than to catch it yourself! That's what Cynthia did!"

"Cynthia? What are you talking about?"

This time, it was Kaitlin's turn to tell a story. Apparently, there was a rumor going around on the other side of Mt. Coronet about the legendary Pokemon Dialga and Palkia. According to Kaitlin, Team Galactic's activities at Verity Lake had become public knowledge, and trainers were beginning to piece together their intent. Honestly it made me feel a lot less special, but it was also good to know Team Galactic wasn't as secretive as they thought. Of course, this also meant that Cynthia was probably not happy, as she was working in secret to save her comrade Lance.

"Basically, the rumor is Cynthia actually knew where to find Dialga and Palkia, and captured both of them to prevent Cyrus from doing the same thing!" Kaitlin added.

I'd guessed as much back when I'd met Cynthia at Celestic Town. I had no way of confirming it, but if others were thinking the same thing, it might be true. Cyrus going after Giratina in the Distortion World was clearly a last ditch effort. As powerful a Pokemon as it could be, it probably couldn't compare to Dialga's time travel or Palkia's space powers. Whatever they might actually be.

"But Giratina could still be a problem," I said. "We need to try and stop them from catching all three of those Pokemon."

"I agree! But if the guardian from this lake is already out there, then there's only one left..."

"Uxie, the one from Acuity Lake." I finished for her.

"And that's all the way up there," Kaitlin pointed towards Mt. Coronet, which even this far out still towered over everything. On ground far above where we were, Snowpoint City was just a short hike from the lake in question, which was constantly covered in snowfall. I wanted to get up there as soon as I could, but I still had my own priorities. I was certain I wasn't the only trainer looking for glory in trying to take down Team Galactic. And I was sure Cynthia had plans for dealing with the possibility that the Distortion World was opened by Cyrus.

"Are you going up there, then?" I asked.

"Probably. Are you?"

"Yeah, but I have other places to go first."

Kaitlin sighed, making me wonder if she thought we'd tag up on the spot and start marching up Mt. Coronet at that very moment.

"Well, we're here, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Kaitlin asked, looking worried all of a sudden.

"Hotel Grand Lake! Want to split a room and stay the night? Much better than camping on the beach, right?"

I knew it would be for her. Kaitlin wasn't fond of large bodies of water, but I guess that was only fair when you didn't know how to swim. I doubt she would have learned how to by now, but there was always a possibility she'd caught a Pokemon capable of keeping her afloat. Since I had my bathing suit this time, I wouldn't pass up the chance.

"I guess," she mumbled before checking her purse. I tried to get a look inside, but she was taller than me so that didn't happen. "I think I can afford to pay half."

"Great! Because that's all I can afford! Let's go!"

Latching onto her arm so she couldn't wiggle away, I dragged my friend up some steps and towards the main lobby of the hotel. Though perhaps it was safer to call it the reception area, since most of the hotel grounds were out in the open. The only places inside actual buildings were the rooms themselves, the reception hall and maybe the kitchen. We had to wait in line a bit too, as many other people- most of them trainers by the look of it- were trying to reserve rooms there as well. While Kaitlin was staring at the slow pace of the line we were in, I scouted around for any other familiar faces. I knew for certain a few of my friends from the road wouldn't be here, but there was always a chance to run into someone like Michael or any of the other trainers I'd neglected to add to my Poketch's mailing list.

Sadly, by the time we got our room, I hadn't seen any such people. A pair of room keys on hand, we marched across the grounds of the hotel to a building on the north side, closer to Valor Lake than the actual beach. Kaitlin was a bit pleased by this outcome, of course. I didn't care either way, since come the morning we'd be going for a swim. In fact, once we were in the room, I prepared to drop that bombshell on her.

"One bed?" She said once the lights were on. Indeed, there was a single bed for the two of us, but luckily it was large enough for two.

"That's fine. We can share it!"

"I guess..."

"And tomorrow, we'll hit up the beach!"

"The what?" She blurted out.

"You mean you weren't going to take a swim with me? After you turned me down back at the other lake?" I pretended to be hurt, but it clearly wasn't flying with Kaitlin.

"That time was because-! It was d-dark! And well...!" She stammered quite a bit, trying to find the most useful or least embarrassing excuse. I was beginning to think she thought I'd forgotten she couldn't swim.

"So you still haven't learned how to swim?"

Kaitlin turned a deep shade of red.

"Want me to teach you?"

"N-No! It's okay, really."

For a brief moment, I wasn't sure why she didn't accept my offer. I mean, if I were in her place, I'd take me up on the offer. Not being able to swim was a huge hindrance for being on a Pokemon Journey. Not just because of the obvious traveling reason, but also because you never knew when you'd be forced into a body of water of some kind. My sister Ruby always mentioned underground lakes in the caves south of here, a few of which she had to swim across. If Kaitlin ended up in that situation, she'd be stuck without this essential skill. But as my mind pieced all this together, it became clear why she didn't want me to teach her.

"You're embarrassed," I said.

"I-I-!"

"Hopefully not because I'm smaller than you! Or maybe it's because there's so many people out on the beach, huh?"

Kaitlin had gotten to the point where she could hardly say anything. But a simple nod confirmed it for me. I dropped my bag on the bed and walked over to the room's only window, which conveniently overlooked the road north and the forested lake nearby.

"Grab your swimsuit," I said, turning back to my friend. "I'm going to teach you how to swim over there!"

I was pointing to Valor Lake, which would most likely be deserted at that time of day, if not always given the beach being so close. We'd proven Pokemon don't show anywhere near these lakes, so the chances of trainers snooping around to catch some was also low. We'd have the privacy Kaitlin wanted to learn how to swim.

"And I won't take no for an answer!"

* * *

The sun was all but gone by the time we got to Valor Lake. Kaitlin had tried to delay our departure just enough that it would get too dark to do anything. Once I'd forced her out of the room and on the way to the lake, she admitted it was also because she didn't want to be seen learning how to swim. To make her feel better, I promised her if there was anyone near the lake, we'd call it off and head back immediately. Even I was hoping for that outcome on some level, since I hadn't eaten anything since lunch and was starved. But we were already at the lake, so backing out now would be a waste. Especially when we saw no other persons in the area. The lake was a picture of tranquility.

"So! Lesson one should be on how not to drown!" I said chipper, just as I began to remove my skirt. I'd slipped into my bathing suit before leaving, just like Kaitlin. Once my skirt was off and my shirt, I stood before my friend in a teal one-piece with frills around the waist and chest. Admittedly, it was probably a bit too infantile now, but I didn't have any other suit. And sadly, hand-me-downs from Iris or Ruby wouldn't fit me. I was... lacking in the chest department.

Kaitlin on the other hand was daring enough to own a two-piece suit. Not exactly what I'd call risqué, but the outfit did make her look a bit older than she would appear normally. The fact that she had boobs at all was enough to color me jealous; I'd known friends in school who began developing the year before. I still looked like a little- littler- kid, and my height didn't help matters much. I suppose looking as we did now would have made things unbearable for Kaitlin if she were seen taking lessons from me.

"How old are you, Kaitlin?"

"Wh-Why?"

"I wanna know."

She fidgeted a bit, then answered, "Eleven."

I suppose it was fair for her to look older, then. Even if at the current moment I appeared to be half her age. Suddenly I was regretting my choice in swim wear. Sadly, my underwear and camisole alternative wouldn't have been proper for the beach in front of so many people. With a sigh, I tried to force these thoughts out of my head.

"Alright, how not to drown. Follow me."

I stepped into the water first, urging my timid friend to follow me. She did, albeit slowly, her panic rising with the water level. Of course given our height difference, when the water forced me to float on my own, she could still stand without trouble. But I guess that would work out in our favor. However, before I could even begin the lesson, we both heard a sound coming from somewhere on the lake. Our eyes both went towards the island in the center, and we saw a faint light coming from within the cave.

"No way," I said, looking back at Kaitlin. "Do you think Azelf came back here?"

"Maybe? This is where he lives, right?"

Again we heard the faint cry of the Pokemon. Our stuff was not far off, but somehow the thought of going away from the cave seemed to scare us, as if we'd lose this chance to Azelf in person.

"Let's go see."

"I can't-!" Kaitlin stood her ground. "I don't know how to swim, remember?"

"I know that! I'll help you. You'll learn at the same time, now come on!"

I was in no mood to argue with her this time, so I clutched her wrist and started towards the cave. When the ground gave out below Kaitlin, she began to flounder about in the water. I looked back, seeing a fear I had never witnessed all over her face. I stopped and got closer to her, propping her up with my arms.

"I'm right here," I told her. "Just take a deep breath, okay?"

Kaitlin nodded, but she couldn't say anything. It was all in her power not to break down right there and make for the shore. I realized just how bad an idea this was; I might have instilled confidence in Diana before, but I was no proper swim teacher. As much as I wanted to get to the island, Kaitlin would not make it. The fear and panic would overwhelm her and we'd be in real trouble at that point. So I began to push her along back towards the shore. When her feet touched ground again, it was as if her panic began to melt away.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling extraordinarily guilty over this.

She didn't say anything, but that was because she was still trying to calm herself. I looked back towards the cave, and was treated to a consolation prize of sorts. Azelf was leaving the cave, floating away on a sudden breeze that blew past the lake. I would have liked to see him up close, as I'm sure Kaitlin would have as well.

"Are you okay?" I finally asked her, once Azelf had vanished from sight.

"Yeah," Kaitlin gasped, still a bit winded from the whole ordeal. That only made me feel worse, but as she continued to calm down so too did my guilt.

"I'm sorry," I said again, unsure if it was enough.

"It's fine. I'm just not ready." Kaitlin sighed.

Putting aside the swimming lesson, I turned back to the skies where Azelf had flown off to. I wasn't too sure about the direction, but it may have been towards the north. Team Galactic hadn't caught him yet, but I just knew they'd be hot on his trail before long. As I stood there, I wondered if maybe our interference had made things worse. What if because we wanted to check on him, it scared him away and right into a trap?

"Maybe if Azelf keeps flying around like that, Team Galactic won't be able to catch him that fast."

I turned to Kaitlin. If it had been Rachael who said that, I would have sworn she was reading my mind. But since I was certain this friend didn't have psychic powers, it had to be that we were both thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, I hope you're right."

"Can we head back now?" Kaitlin asked next, sighing loudly.

"Yeah. I'm getting kinda hungry!"

* * *

We dried ourselves off a bit before getting dressed again and heading back to our room. Once there, we took turns showering, and then prepared to find something to eat outside. Apparently, every night the Hotel Grand Lake held a sort of mini-festival in their massive outdoor lobby. But before we went down there, I made sure to apologize again to Kaitlin.

"Don't worry about it," she said. There was a smile on her face.

"Really? I mean, until I saw how scared you were, I didn't know. I just wanted to help."

"That's why I said not to worry. Maybe when I get back home I'll have to pay for real swimming lessons."

"Would be for the best," I added.

"Come on, I'll buy you some takoyaki."

"What's that?" I asked. It sounded like something foreign.

"Never had it? You're in for a treat, then!"

The large plaza that covered most of the hotel grounds had transformed in the couple hours we were away. It really looked like the kinds of festivals held during the late Summer back home, with stalls as far as the eye could see. While many of the people wandering around were clearly trainers (as they had their Pokeballs on full display, some even challenging one another to battles), many more were just guests of the hotel. While normally I'd lead the way, Kaitlin took point first. We stopped in front of a stall that didn't have as many people, and she purchased a small basket with round dumplings in it.

"Is this takoyaki?" I asked, taking a deep breath.

"Yes. It's seafood, fried and covered in a sauce. Try one!"

Using the toothpick provided, I plucked one of the dumplings and put it in my mouth whole. That proved to be something of a mistake, as it was still piping hot and it felt like it would sear my tongue clean off. As Kaitlin laughed and tried to console me about my foolish decision, I managed to swallow the food. It had a slimy texture, but the flavor was something else entirely. Though that could have been from my diet being mostly sandwiches for so long.

"It's delicious!" I said, my eyes watery from the pain.

"Blow on it a bit next time," Kaitlin laughed, popping one into her mouth. She didn't have nearly as much trouble as I had.

We finished the basket, which only had half a dozen pieces. I bought another one, as three was hardly enough to fill me up, and shared it with Kaitlin all the same. Once we'd had our fill, she bought us both bottled water and we wandered aimlessly through the plaza for a while. Tempted though I was to try some of the games they had, I knew that my wallet was growing lighter by the second. Pastoria City wasn't far off, and with it another gym battle that would pay handsomely. But I also didn't want to go living gym to gym as it were.

Actually, as these thoughts went through my mind, I began to feel a lot older than I actually was. I would never have been this conscious of my spending habits back before I became a Pokemon Trainer. I couldn't help but laugh at myself as we walked around, and I was sure I got more than a few confused glances from not just Kaitlin, but others around me.

Ultimately, we didn't spend a lot of time outside. Both of us were tired from the day's events (Kaitlin more so than myself), so we went back to our room. And within minutes the two of us were fast asleep. And it was the most restful sleep I'd had in a while.

* * *

Morning came, and with it a renewed sense of adventure.

While yesterday's attempts to teach Kaitlin how to swim had ended poorly, I did want to try one last thing with her. Seeing as how we were on a beach, I decided to goad her into a little fun distraction. She was headed north to Veilstone, but I managed to convince her that hanging around the hotel one more day wouldn't hurt.

"After all," I'd said, "the tournament doesn't start for at least a couple months!"

She had nothing to argue with on that front, though I'm sure the two of us were still thinking about Team Galactic's continued efforts to capture the three Lake Guardians. And every time my thoughts went back to it, I felt a bit guilty about wanting to play around on the beach instead of hurrying on to Lake Acuity to save Uxie. But at the same time, I knew there was someone far stronger than I could hope to be on the case. Cynthia had already safeguarded two legendary Pokemon on her own, and was aware of Cyrus' plans long before I even knew who he was. Any way I cut it, my efforts probably amounted to little, even if I wanted to think I was being a huge help to Cynthia.

"The festival thing isn't until tonight. What do you want to do until then?" Kaitlin asked, lying down in bed still. We had to leave by 11 that morning, but until then the room was all ours.

"I was thinking we'd go on a little adventure down by the beach."

At the mention of the "B" word, Kaitlin's face went pale again. While I giggled, I also knew that it was probably very mean of me to do such a thing.

"No more swimming lessons," I quickly added. "But I do want to go check out something I saw on the map that was in the reception of the hotel."

As it turned out, there was a series of tiny islets just off the shore near the hotel. These mostly barren hunks of rock only served to prevent large ships from running aground on the route, but they might have other little secrets. The previous night, I'd noticed many trainers hanging around the beach and setting sail on their Pokemon towards the islets. Perhaps it was just for fun, perhaps not; I wanted to see for myself.

"And why do I have to go?" Kaitlin asked, fearing for her life no doubt.

"You're going to let little old me go out there alone?"

Naturally, she didn't fall for my vulnerable routine. Not that I expected her to.

"Listen, I'll use my Shellos to help you stay afloat out there, okay? Or we can ask the hotel for an inner tube, if you want."

"N-No, I have a Pokemon that can help me," Kaitlin answered in a panic. I guess she wasn't thrilled about using a flotation device meant for toddlers. Not that I could blame her.

"Great! I'll get changed into my swimsuit, then. Let's hurry!"

Once the two of us had our bathing suits on under our clothes, we headed out. Kaitlin had to check us out of the hotel, as there was no way we'd make it back in time to make use of the room one last time. With something of a heavy heart I bid farewell to it, even if it wasn't the greatest room I'd ever seen. In truth, the hotel I stayed at in Jubilife City with my parents was a bit fancier overall. But it was still better than camping out, I had to admit.

Down on the beach, we were greeted by dozens upon dozens of people. Par for the course, some were there for fun in the sun, and others for Pokemon. And while I wanted nothing more than to jump right into the water, our path to said water was blocked right away by a pair of swimmers who seemed to spring forth from the very depths to stop us. In a way, it was rather funny.

"Are you two trainers?" One of them asked. He was a guy, tall and skinny and wearing nothing more than a really tiny pair of swim trunks that almost looked a lot like my underwear.

"Yeah, we are."

"Let me guess," I said, following after Kaitlin, "you want a battle?"

"That's right!" The other swimmer, a girl in a blue two piece swimsuit, nodded. She only had one Pokeball on her, as did her swimming companion.

Kaitlin looked at me, as if leaving the decision to me. I didn't think there was a way to weasel out of the battle. On top of that, we hadn't battled anyone else since arriving at the hotel. Our luck was bound to run out eventually. Placing my hands at my hips, I proudly accepted their challenge.

"Just let us change, first!" I added, dragging Kaitlin by the arm off to a side.

"Change? Why do we have to change for a battle?"

"Because! They're already in their swimwear, so we should do the same!" I immediately ripped off my shirt, followed by my skirt. I had the same teal swimsuit from the previous night, which wasn't a big shock to my friend. As she hesitated to strip, I lent her a hand, leaving her exposed (so to speak) in her two piece outfit same as the previous night. I hadn't gotten a good look at the color before, but in the day light I could tell it was a rather girlish shade of pink.

"W-What?"

"Nothing. Didn't think pink was your color." I shrugged.

Figuring these two would use Water type Pokemon, I grabbed Mareep's Pokeball and marched out to stand opposite them on the beach. Kaitlin followed, though she looked to be a lot more wary of her surroundings than I was.

"Two-on-two, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, one Pokemon for each of us," the male swimmer said. "I'm Sheltin, by the way."

"Haley~!" The girl announced in a sing-song voice, making her appear a lot younger than she probably was. Given her height and size, I had to guess she was a teenager. Couldn't say how old Sheltin was, though.

"I'm Mia. And this is Kaitlin." I introduced my friend, since she was really fidgeting beside me. I couldn't imagine how it looked to others around us. Nor did I care to, as my mind was focused on the battle ahead.

Each of us threw our Pokeballs out successively, until four critters materialized between us. All in all, they were familiar faces to me. I had to make sure to scan each one before the battle began properly.

"Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokemon. Once it appears, its rage never settles until it has razed the fields and mountains around it."

"Azumarill, the Aqua Rabbit Pokemon. It lives in rivers and lakes. In water, its coloring and patterns trick the vision of foes."

A brief glance to my right and I saw Kaitlin's Pokemon, a different one from the Staravia she had used in the past. I made sure to scan it as well.

"Carnivine, the Bug Catcher Pokemon. It attracts prey with its sweet-smelling saliva, then chomps down. It takes a whole day to eat prey."

"Eww..." I couldn't imagine waiting for that thing to finish eating, but it did have the happiest grin on its face as it stood before Kaitlin. She gave be a harsh glance as if I'd offended her Pokemon, so I turned my attention back to the battle.

"Gyarados, use Dragon Rage!"

"Azumarill, Rollout!"

Sheltin and Haley had gotten the advantage thanks to my scanning, but I wasn't too fazed.

"Mareep, Thundershock!"

"Use Vine Whip, Carnivine!"

Azumarill curled up into a perfectly round blue ball and began to speed towards our Pokemon at a fierce speed. Carnivine extended two of its tentacle-like legs and caught onto Azumarill before it struck, holding it down in the sand. In the meantime, Sheltin's Gyarados took to the sky and began to breathe the same dark and purple flames I was used to seeing from Gible. Mareep was slow to move, so she had to weather the harsh attack. Carnivine as well, who was desperately holding back the Azumarill with its Vine Whip attack. Nevertheless, Mareep charged up her attack and blasted a bolt at Gyarados, which illuminated the large dragon lookalike.

"Gyarados, Crunch!"

"Mareep, Thunder Wave!"

Hurt from the attack, Gyarados dove in from the sky to finish my Pokemon in a single harsh bite. Mareep unleashed the electric waves at the Pokemon above, which slowed its descent considerably at first. Then just as quickly Gyarados gained speed, but this time crashed into the sand in front of my Pokemon. The paralysis had taken hold, and he was unable to complete his action.

"Carnivine, use Vine Whip to throw Azumarill at Gyarados!"

"Azumarill, stop your attack!" Haley cried out in a panic.

However, in the rabbit Pokemon's attempt to break through Carnivine's strong hold, it had only gained more and more momentum. As soon as Carnivine redirected the Pokemon, it went flying towards its ally at a speed even greater than before. Azumarill crashed hard into the paralyzed Gyarados, and despite the size difference sent the large serpent rolling along the beach.

By now, a small crowd had formed around us, with cheers erupting following every action. I couldn't help but smile at this, and with my hands on my hips I proudly announced the next attack, which would likely finish the match.

"Mareep, Thundershock!"

The sparks built up around my sheep Pokemon, until she blasted the lone bolt at the slightly dizzy Azumarill. However, the Pokemon seemed to endure the attack, and rose from the sand ready to keep fighting.

"Carnivine, Leaf Tornado!"

Kaitlin's Pokemon began to spin around in midair, unleashing dozens if not hundreds of leaves that formed a small vortex. It went straight for Azumarill, who tried to weather the attack, but was ultimately sent flying in some random direction. By the time it landed, it was unconscious. I looked to Gyarados, who wasn't out yet, but the paralysis had rendered it unable to keep fighting.

"Looks like we won," I called out to the two swimmers. "Unless you want me to unleash a Thunderbolt on your Pokemon!"

Naturally, that wasn't going to happen. Mareep hadn't learned that attack yet, and Sheltin certainly didn't want his Pokemon to come to further harm. He raised his arms in a show of defeat, and the crowd around us began to cheer. I waved back at everyone, while Kaitlin did the same in a slightly more embarrassed fashion. Once all our Pokemon were back in their Pokeballs, the crowd slowly dissipated, leaving us four standing in a circle.

"You guys were great!" Haley said with a beaming smile. She was awful chipper for having lost the match.

"Just because they used types that had the advantage," Sheltin added with a bit of a glum look.

"Whatever, we still won!" I laughed.

"Are you going to the Pokemon League?" Sheltin asked next.

"Yes." Kaitlin nodded.

"Me too! I'm on my way to Pastoria City for my next badge."

"Are they still holding it?" This question came from Haley.

"Why wouldn't they?" I asked in turn.

"Well, Team Galactic activity has been on the rise," Haley explained. "Just last night they targeted a building in Veilstone City."

My thoughts immediately turned to Diana, who had been heading in that direction the last time I saw her.

"What do you mean attacked?"

"I didn't catch it all on the TV, but basically there was a break-in somewhere, and Team Galactic claimed responsibility. The police were all over the scene, but they weren't saying anything. How typical, right?"

Ignoring the conversation for the moment, I dug around my bag for my Poketch. I wanted to send a message to Diana as soon as possible, just to make sure she was safe.

"But what does that have to do with the tournament?" Kaitlin asked next.

"They interviewed Cynthia, the champion." Sheltin chipped in. "She refused to comment on the state of the tournament publicly."

"I'm not going this time," Haley said with a bit of a laugh. "So it doesn't matter to me. But I hope they don't cancel it for you guys."

By now I'd typed up my message and sent it out, so I looked back up at the swimmers. "Yeah, I hope they don't. Someone should do something about Team Galactic."

"If every Pokemon Trainer out there would just unite and fight them, they wouldn't be a problem at all. But I guess it's hard to get everyone to join up for something like that, huh?" Sheltin shrugged.

Everyone agreed, myself included. But I had to admit such a feat would be amazing. How would a fight on that grand a scale be managed? Sometimes a two-on-two fight could get so hectic you'd lose track of it all. It boggled the mind to imagine three-on-three, let alone anything higher than that. I was trying to envision dozens, hundreds of Pokemon just going at it in a messy battle royale, but with mixed success. As cool as it would be to participate in something like that, I almost didn't want to see it happen.

"Well, it was nice to meet you!" Haley added, smiling vibrantly.

"Yeah. Maybe we'll get a rematch some day."

I nodded to both of them, and they went back towards the hotel rather than get back in the water. Once they were gone, I looked to Kaitlin.

"Really think they'll cancel the tournament?" She asked me.

"I don't know. But I guess all we can do is hope they don't."

After a brief pause, gave my friend a pat on the back to remind her why we were out there in the first place.

"Come on! Let's go!"

"Huh?!" She panicked, and again I found myself dragging her towards the water.

Naturally, I didn't plan to just throw her in like I'd done before.

* * *

To Diana:

I hope you're safe. I heard about something happening at Veilstone City involving Team Galactic. As soon as you get this, please send me a message!

* * *

It was about noon when Kaitlin and I were sitting atop one of the islets just off the shore of Route 213.

Kaitlin had shown me yet another of her Pokemon, a Water type called Lumineon that helped her to make it to the islet. I had released Shellos myself just to give her a chance to swim freely. We splashed about a bit in the water for a while (honestly looking a lot more like a couple kids than Pokemon Trainers), before we climbed up on the barren islet. There was nothing to do on any of them it seemed, despite there being plenty of trainers out here. We were on one of the closest to the shore, as Kaitlin was still pretty scared of the ocean despite both Lumineon and Shellos helping her along.

But as we sat up on the rock, my mind continued to wander to Diana. She was my best friend, after all. And I hadn't heard from her since I sent the message. It had only been a couple hours at best, but I couldn't help but feel worried. Part of me wanted to go running back to Veilstone City, but I knew that wouldn't help much. The city was large, and it was entirely possible she hadn't been involved with Team Galactic or anything that had happened. She might have even already left the city and had no clue what I was talking about. Maybe she hadn't answered because she was on the move, and had poor reception on her Poketch.

"Something on your mind?"

Kaitlin's question brought me back to the present. The sun was warm, so it felt rather good on our wet bodies. I had lost track of time, but it had to be April already. Before long, the Spring months would go and we'd be hit with harsh Summer.

"Huh?"

"You've been a bit quiet since after the battle. Something wrong?"

Kaitlin was a lot more observant than I thought. That, or I was likely being very obvious about it.

"The thing about Veilstone City? I have a friend who was going there. I'm just worried about her."

Actually, if I thought about it further, I also had family there. Dad was there, after all. But somehow, I wasn't worried about him. He was a grown-up, after all. And he used to be a Pokemon Trainer himself, so he was probably a lot safer than Diana would be.

"I'm sure she's fine."

"How do you know?" The way it came out sounded harsh, so I immediately prepared to apologize to Kaitlin.

"Just a hunch. Not all of us are as crazy as you, Mia."

"Crazy?"

"We don't all go chasing after Team Galactic to try and be a hero." She laughed.

"I-I'm not trying to be a hero!" I shot back, feeling my cheeks growing warm.

"I didn't say that. Just said you were crazy."

I went to say something else, but kept my mouth shut. I looked away from Kaitlin, feeling my cheeks a lot redder than usual.

"So don't worry about her. You sent her a message, right?"

I nodded. She'd seen me fiddling with my Poketch, after all.

"I'm sure she'll send you a message soon enough."

"But wouldn't you be worried?" I asked Kaitlin.

"Yeah. Definitely."

"Then why are you telling me-"

"Because you gain nothing by worrying," Kaitlin answered, cutting me off. "Just believe in your friend."

It sounded strange, to be honest. But at the same time…

I had to put myself in Diana's position. If it had been me who was in Veilstone and she heard about it, would she worry about me? I'm sure she would, but would she be so worried that she'd consider running out to Veilstone to save me? I had no real answer to that question. I know I wanted to, but that was only because I not only valued Diana as a friend, but also because she could be a bit…

"Yeah, you're right." I ended up saying aloud.

Diana wouldn't rush head first into an encounter with Team Galactic. Of that I was certain. If she saw trouble, she'd run in the opposite direction.

"Now, how about some lunch?" Kaitlin said, changing topics.

"We'll have to go back to the hotel, won't we?"

But the girl sitting next to me in her pink swimsuit shook her head. We both had our bags with us (since we couldn't leave them on the beach all alone for so long), and Kaitlin produced a small container. She opened it up and showed its contents to me: takoyaki.

"When did you get this?!" I asked, stunned to see them. They were even still a bit warm.

"I bought more last night, and saved them for today. Want some?"

"Yes!"

Immediately I went to grab one, starved from so much swimming that morning.


	21. Crasher Wake

Crasher Wake, Chapter XXI

* * *

The day ended, and I didn't hear from Diana.

As much as I wanted to believe what Kaitlin had told me, I found it difficult to keep calm about the matter that evening. After our lunch on that islet off the coast, we swam back to shore and hung around the beach the rest of the day. I'm not going to lie and say the entire time I was thinking about Diana, because I wasn't. I had fun with Kaitlin, the kind of fun I hadn't experienced since before my Pokemon Journey began. It felt like I was just a kid again on the beach.

But when the sun began to set, we realized our little vacation was over. The hotel had public baths, which we used to wash off the ton of sand after the day's events. We couldn't afford to stay in a room again, so a short ways off from the hotel grounds we set up a small camp. We weren't the only ones, either. The hotel knew that many trainers couldn't afford to stay (or chose not to) and went out of their way to offer small services to those camping nearby. You'd be surprised how great it is to be given a pillow for the night when you're sleeping on the cold ground.

I even wanted to visit the small festival in the plaza again, but Kaitlin advised against it.

"You go out there, you're going to spend even more money."

I had mentioned how light my wallet had gotten, especially after all the splurging we did for the room and the food. There was no Pokemart in the area, so anything we ate had to come from the hotel, and it was much more expensive than junk meals sold in those shops.

So as much as I wanted to go back out there, I stayed by the campfire that evening. Kaitlin and I talked about a few things, but by the time it got dark we were about ready to call it a night. Kaitlin had a long trip ahead of her, since she was headed up to Veilstone City. And that's what got me thinking about Diana again.

"She never called back?" Kaitlin asked me once I brought it up.

"No. I'm really worried now."

My friend didn't say anything at first. Somehow I expected her to repeat the whole, "She's fine" thing. I knew Kaitlin meant well by it, and I wasn't holding it against her. But it also felt like she was just saying it to get me to care less about Diana. At least, that's how it was going through my head.

I felt a nudge on my left, and I looked to Gible. I'd released him since we set up camp, and my pudgy Dragon type had been napping the afternoon away. He gave me a small growl, so I figured he was asking for food.

"Sorry, boy. I'll get you something to eat in a minute, okay?"

But Gible shook his head, and nudged my side again.

"What? What is it?"

Again he growled, but no matter how much I looked into his eyes I couldn't discern his meaning. What was he trying to tell me?

"Maybe he wants you to go back and look for Diana," Kaitlin chimed in. At this, Gible let out a small yelp as if to agree.

"Head back up to Veilstone and look for her?"

Another yelp from my Pokemon. Seems he was just as worried about Diana as I was. And he hadn't spent nearly as much time with her as I had.

"But..."

My voice trailed off.

I was on this quest to collect badges from all the gyms in the Sinnoh region. I wanted to prove to myself and my brothers and sisters that I was just as good a trainer as any of them. I wanted to be able to hold my head high and face them in the Pokemon League Tournament at the end of the season. And while I had time to backtrack to Veilstone City and look for Diana, to do so would detract from my mission. I still had time; the tournament wouldn't begin for more than a month.

So why did I feel so wrong about wanting to go back for her?

Did that make me a bad person? That I kept looking for an excuse not to go back? Is that why I kept wishing with all my heart that Diana would answer me? Not so much to know that she was alright, but that I didn't have to go looking for her and slow myself down?

"Mia," Kaitlin's voice reached me, and suddenly I was sitting back there by the fire.

"Huh?"

"Listen, I'll go."

"Go? Where?"

"Veilstone City. That's my next stop anyway, so I'll look for your friend."

It was the perfect solution. So why hadn't I thought about it?

"Are you sure?" I found myself asking.

"Just give me her Poketch number, and I can track her down that way. If anything, I can just talk to the police in Veilstone."

When Kaitlin mentioned the police, all I could do was worry more. But I knew that if she was with the police, she was at least safe. Team Galactic's goal was to capture the Lake Guardians and Giratina, not harm Pokemon Trainers. Well, except those that crossed them. My thoughts turned to the crazy grunt who kept bothering me, but she was after me personally. I doubt she'd just target someone else at random. If anything, she was more likely to attack Kaitlin than Diana.

It's funny, the more and more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that Diana had little chance of being directly involved with the incident.

"Yeah," I finally replied. "Here, this is her number."

After sharing the info, I picked up Gible and sat him on my lap. "Is that okay, boy? Can Kaitlin go for us?"

My chubby Pokemon nodded, growling his approval.

"Then don't you worry!" Kaitlin announced with a strong determination. "I'll find your friend!"

Gible growled again, and I gave him a small hug as a result.

"Hey, Mia?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you travel with Gible at your side?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, out in the open at all times. A lot of trainers do that, you know."

I knew that. As I've already seen a good part of the Sinnoh region, I had seen a few trainers here and there who were on the march with their Pokemon in tow.

"Well, I always felt a bit bad about making Gible walk around all the time." I told her, looking down at my Pokemon. "He's kinda fat."

At this, Gible growled in an upset tone, and scurried from my lap so he could practically bark at me.

"Sorry," I apologized to him. "But it's true!"

"No it's not!" Kaitlin said in my own Pokemon's defense. "He's just… small-boned?"

It was an odd take on the oft-used "big-boned" defense for larger or fatter people. But in a way I guess it worked.

"So what? You're saying you want to travel by my side all the time?" I asked Gible directly.

My Pokemon nodded. And to further prove the point, he began to waddle all around the campfire at a brisk pace. He certainly had energy, and I knew he was tenacious so he wouldn't complain no matter how much we walked.

"Alright, then. You can walk with me from now on," I told him. "Sorry I never asked you. Just thought it would be hard for your little legs."

Gible seemed to smile (if that was even possible is up for debate), and nestled himself somewhere near my sleeping bag. He looked ready to call it a night.

"There is one bad thing about traveling with Gible from now on." I looked to Kaitlin, who was also preparing to slip into her own sleeping bag.

"What's that?"

"He's going to want to eat a lot more often from now on..."

And as if to confirm this, Gible yelped with his eyes closed.

* * *

With the morning sun I said farewell to Kaitlin.

She promised to keep in touch with anything she found out about Diana, so I promised her in turn that I wouldn't worry about my friend as much anymore. Whether or not I could keep that promise was between myself and Gible. He'd be watching me the entire time, after all.

From there, I began my march across Route 213 west towards Pastoria City. Most of Route 213 was beach used by the Hotel Grand Lake, so it wasn't a very eventful march. The sand did slow Gible down a bit, since his stubby legs kept getting swallowed up. In the end, I had to carry him most of the way. And he was a lot heavier than you might imagine. I actually had flashbacks to the Pokemon egg I'd gotten from the Pikachu Fan Club.

By lunch time, we'd gotten past the beaches of Route 213 and were on a straight path to Pastoria City. This was another coastal town, though not to the same extent as Sunyshore City or Canalave City. It was also a bit smaller than those, with fewer tall buildings and more homes for people. The city was on a slope of sorts, and from Route 213 I could see the majority of it quite well. The Pokemon Center and the gym were the highlights, of course. But there was another building nearby that caught my eye, so I went there first to check it out.

"The Great Marsh," I read aloud from the sign posted outside the building. "Come experience the wonder of exotic wild Pokemon."

Under the sign were brochures for the place, so I took one and packed it in my bag. I had to stop by the Pokemon Center first, so I'd give it a read there. As I got closer to the Center, I noticed something of a crowd down by the small pier. Despite being labeled a city, Pastoria had a small pier that looked a better fit for a tiny town. There were a couple ships docked, but not the kinds of ocean liners I'd seen back in Canalave City. I didn't have to get close to see why the crowd was there, though.

"Thank you, everyone!"

At the sound of her cheery, sing-song voice, the crowd erupted into madness. It was Lisia, the Hoenn idol whom I'd met weeks ago. Naturally she didn't see me as I was so far away, but it looked like she was doing a gig here. Or had just finished a gig, at least. I was certain my sister Iris would kill me if I got to see Lisia twice in a single adventure, so I made sure to steer clear of the crowd. Perhaps if they were all busy with her, the gym would be free for me to challenge Crasher Wake with little wait time.

After passing along my Pokemon to Nurse Joy, I sat down in the lobby and began to read the Great Marsh brochure. It turned out the place was similar to the Safari Zone, an attraction in Fuchsia City in the Kanto region. For a small fee, you were allowed to capture as many Pokemon as you wanted, since the zone (or in this case, marsh) was a preserve for exotic Pokemon. Exotic meaning critters not native to Sinnoh.

Tempting as it was, I decided against going in myself. My current team consisted of Gible, Mareep, Shellos, Ponyta, Mawile and Chimecho. Diversity was already in the bag, so I didn't see the need in looking for other Pokemon. At least not somewhere I'd have to pay for the privilege. There was still quite a bit of Sinnoh for me to explore on my quest, so I'd just rely on natural luck for future catches.

Once my Pokemon were returned to me, I set out for the gym. By now the crowd for Lisia had dispersed, meaning her gig was over. Now that I was closer to the pier, I noticed one of the small ships docked there was colored a crazy shade of pink. That had to belong to her, or at the very least whatever company was promoting the girl. As I began to imagine how cool it must be to travel around the region in your own personal yacht, I let myself and Gible into the Pastoria City Gym.

Crasher Wake was a Water type master, so it didn't surprise me that the arena was essentially a giant swimming pool. The gym wasn't empty, however. Splashing around the large swimming pool were various people, but not the kinds of people I expected, either. It was actually a bunch of little kids, with a few grown-ups here and there helping them out. It looked like a giant swimming class, making me wonder briefly if I had come to the right place.

"Can I help you, miss?"

Sitting near the entrance behind a desk was a man, dressed like a sailor of all things.

"Yeah, this is the Pastoria Gym, right?"

"Sure is. Are you here for a swimming lesson?"

"Umm, I was here to challenge the gym leader? I'm a Pokemon Trainer."

"Oh! My apologies, I didn't notice your Pokemon down there," he said, pointing to Gible who was indeed half my height and obscured by his desk. "I thought you were another girl here for lessons."

"Yeah, no. I just want to challenge Crasher Wake." I told him, a bit peeved he was treating me like some toddler.

"Well, you might have to wait a while. He's currently busy."

"I'll wait," I told him before he could offer any other options. "Can I sit down?"

"Pick a bench and I'll pencil you in. Name?"

"Mia."

With that done, the man let me go and I wandered over to a side of the gym to take a seat. Gible was delighted by the sight of the water, but I wasn't sure if he'd even be able to swim all that well. As it was, I didn't plan on using him this fight. Unless he threw me a curveball, I planned to have Mareep finish this match with minimum effort.

So for what felt like an hour, I watched a couple grown-ups teach a pair of kids how to swim. The whole show reminded me of just a couple days ago, when I'd tried to do the same with Kaitlin. In fact, the way the grown-ups were slowly easing the kids into the deeper parts of the pool showed me just how wrong I'd been to force Kaitlin the way I had the other night. One of the kids, a little boy with a large blue inner tube, was having a lot of trouble getting out of the shallow end. The grown-up helping him, a larger man who looked more like a body-builder, was very patient however. If ever the boy complained about it being too deep, the grown-up would just calm him down and lead him back to the shallow water.

I saw this happen plenty of times, and I just couldn't imagine how he kept doing it. I would have gone crazy after just a few times, so I concluded I wasn't a very good swimming teacher.

"Samson!" The body-builder instructor called out.

The man dressed like a sailor approached the pool, and the two men spoke for a short time. Once Samson the sailor returned to his desk, the instructor guided the boy out of the pool, as did the other instructors for their charges. Once out of the pool himself, the large man walked right up to me. It was only now that I realized he was wearing a mask for some reason, though his white hair was poking out from the sides.

"You Mia?" He asked me in a gruff voice.

"Yeah. Who are you?"

With a smile, the large man pointed a thumb to his chest. "You are now beholding the Pastoria Gym Leader!"

I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped at hearing this.

"You're-?"

"Crasher Wake!" He cut me off, booming loudly. "Sorry for the delay, but business before pleasure!"

Wasn't being the gym leader his business? As if he read my thoughts, Wake continued speaking.

"My Pokemon and I were toughened up by stormy seas. I dedicated myself to teaching others how to survive the perils of the ocean. It was the Pokemon League that asked me to become a leader many years ago."

"Wow! I didn't know they did that!"

"Not anymore they don't. Things have changed a lot since I became a leader." He pointed to his white hair as if to show just how long he'd been one. "So, you want to earn a Fen Badge, do you?"

I nodded.

"Alright! We will be having a special three-on-three Pokemon battle."

"Special?"

"In order for you to earn that badge, you'll need to prove you are as safe as you are talented at Pokemon battles. Tell me, can you swim?"

"Yes?" I answered, a bit confused as to what swimming had to do with the battle.

"Perfect! For this battle, you and I will be inside the very pool where our Pokemon will fight. Not only do you have to defeat me, but you must do so without bringing harm to either of us!"

It took me a moment to piece together what he was saying. But once I had, I realized that this small rule of his would make it difficult to use Mareep the way I wanted to win the fight outright. After all, if both of us were in the pool, I couldn't just use Electric type attacks all I wanted.

"Thats-" I started to say, but couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. But I did want to say it was a form of cheating.

Wake laughed. "Don't tell me you expected to just pull out one of those Pikachu and spam Thundershock until you won?"

Well, not a Pikachu. But that was the extent of my strategy, to be sure.

"We shall see how good a trainer you are! If you don't want to get your outfit wet, Samson will show you to the back room where you can borrow a swimsuit."

I had a swimsuit of my own, but that wasn't the point. I had to come up with a whole new strategy on the fly if I was going to earn this badge.

Once I'd changed into my suit, I slowly submerged myself on the challenger's side of the massive pool. A number of the kids that were taking lessons had chosen to remain on the sidelines to watch, so I had to admit I was feeling just a bit self-conscious. Not just because I was doing this battle in a swimsuit, but because I had to make sure I won without any real foul-ups. Unlike myself, Wake had something of a throne built partially submerged in the water. I figured his rule was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but clearly he was prepared for this kind of match so it might have been his thing.

"Three-on-three," Wake reminded me with his booming voice across the large gym. "Battle begins once both our Pokemon are out there!"

He released his fist Pokemon, a sizable blue thing with the dopiest looking face. I tried not to laugh as I scanned it (my bag was close to the water's edge for this reason).

"Quagsire, the Water Fish Pokemon. A dim-witted Pokemon. It doesn't care if it bumps its head into boats or rocks while swimming."

Even I thought that was a bit mean of the Pokedex, but I wasn't about to argue with the red device in my hands. However, the fact that Quagsire was part Ground type meant I had very little to work with. I didn't have a clear advantage, and if I wanted to be fair, I was even at a disadvantage. I could feel the tension from the crowd as I delayed in picking my first Pokemon.

A small growl sounded in my ear. Gible was there, willing to go out for me. I knew it would be risky sending him, since he probably couldn't swim if Quagsire knocked him into the water. But it was certainly worth a shot.

"Go, Gible. I'm counting on you!" I told him.

The pool didn't have many places for Pokemon to stand on, but there were plenty of flotation bars scattered about the surface. If Gible was knocked into the water, he could probably latch onto one for safety. After sending him out there, he hopped aboard one of those very bars and paddled himself to the first available island.

"The battle begins!" Wake announced loudly, to some applause from the kids around us. "Quagsire, start with a nice Yawn!"

"A yawn?!"

Wake's Pokemon was standing on an island himself, and let out a hearty yawn that even had me doing the same. Such was the power of the yawn. Gible was usually full of energy, but even he couldn't resist the allure of a mid-afternoon nap. The battle had hardly begun and already he looked unsteady on his feet.

"Gible snap out of it! Use Dragon Rage!"

With a bit of effort, Gible shook off the drowsiness and blasted Quagsire with the dark flames. Wake's Pokemon made no effort to dodge the attack, and he was pushed back into the pool, sinking like a rock. For a brief moment, I thought that was all it took. And then I realized what a mistake that had been.

Across the pool, Wake remained with his smug smile. All he had to do now was bide his time. I looked to Gible, who yawned again as the drowsiness began to overtake him. Any second now he'd fall asleep, and then Wake would be free to finish the battle in a single shot. The worst part was, I had nothing to work with here. As Gible began to close his eyes, I forcibly returned him to his Pokeball, just so I could get him off the field as quickly as possible.

"What's this? Quitting already?" Wake asked.

"Just changing Pokemon!" I announced, before picking out Shellos' Pokeball. I released my small pink Pokemon, who immediately took to the water. But I knew she wasn't going to be safe right away.

"Shellos, Water Pulse! And follow me!"

I knew that while I remained on the surface, I wouldn't have a clear view of the battle. After hearing my command, I took a deep breath and plunged myself into the water. Opening my eyes, I could make out Quagsire in the distance, resting on the pool floor with his attention turned towards Wake's feet. Not long after Wake went under himself, and I knew he was wise to my plan. As he made signals to his own Pokemon, Shellos effortlessly swam towards Quagsire, who turned just in time to see the beams of water energy crash into him. With surprising force he slammed against the wall, but that wouldn't be enough to finish him. Just as I was about to rise back to the surface, I noticed the bottom of the pool actually had a small bit of dirt or sand of some kind.

Back above the water, Shellos followed me. Wake was still under, and I didn't know how well he worked with his Pokemon. He could be issuing orders wordlessly down there, so I had to be quick.

"Shellos, use Mud Slap!"

Taking another deep breath, we both went back down. Wake was still there, but he didn't look the least bit distressed. Quagsire had also recovered, and was swimming towards my Pokemon with a great ball of mud in his paws. Quagsire was a bit slower than Shellos, however, so my Pokemon was able to swim under him and gather up some mud of its own. Both Pokemon released their muddy attacks at the same time, but I was only able to see Shellos' connect with Quagsire. The attack Wake's Pokemon did kicked up a great cloud at the bottom of the pool, which obscured my sight of Shellos. I stayed down there as long as I could, but before I could see Shellos again I had to go back up for air.

"Interesting match, isn't it?" Wake called out to me on the surface. Unlike me, he didn't look the least bit fazed.

His Quagsire was likely used to punishment, so I'd probably have to pound it nearly into submission before he'd retire it from the fight. And even if Shellos landed a few more good hits like this, it would be a while before Quagsire took enough damage. This whole plan wasn't working at all.

Beneath the surface, I signaled to Shellos to come back up. It was a tense few seconds, but Shellos popped her head at last. Without missing a beat, I put her back in her Pokeball.

"Another change? Do I have to remind you of the rules?"

"No, I got it," I called to Wake. I put Shellos' Pokeball off to a side, while I released Gible from his at last. My tiny dragon was still sleeping, but he wasn't to return to the match just yet. I had one final chance to win this fight.

I threw my last Pokemon onto the small island closest to me. Out came Mareep, the very Pokemon I wanted to finish this whole fight with. Once Wake saw her, he began to laugh out loud.

"Remember the rules! If either of us get shocked, you're disqualified!"

"I know," I said, though I doubt he heard it given how low I said it.

Mareep tried to keep her balance on the island, but she couldn't move much. What I had in mind was risky, but I had to get Quagsire out of the pool if I had any hope of beating it. My hand remained on Mareep's Pokeball, while I reached around behind me with my other hand to poke at Gible. I needed him to wake up as soon as possible.

"Mareep, try and push the island to me!"

I heard murmurs around me, but I paid them no mind. Following my instruction, Mareep used her tail as a makeshift paddle to push the island closer to me. Across the way, Wake couldn't help but laugh, but my eyes tried to remain focused on the water closest to Mareep. I just knew Quagsire would move in for a surprise attack. Once the island was just a few feet away, I saw something dark stirring nearby.

I called Mareep back at the moment Quagsire popped his head out of the water, flipping the island Mareep had been on upside down. The crowd let out a collective gasp, while I spun around to grab Gible. He was just barely rousing from his nap, but all the same I used all my strength to throw him into the pool. While in mid-air, he woke up, and that's when I cried out, "Dragon Claw!"

My Pokemon adjusted his trajectory as best he could, and ended up right on Quagsire's head. Tiny as his claws were, they cut deep and dark into Quagsire, causing both Pokemon to go under the surface. Seconds later, Gible emerged, panicking slightly before he latched onto a flotation bar for safety. Shocked by this turn of events, Wake went under briefly. After about a minute, he emerged again on his side of the pool, holding his Pokemon in his arms.

"Quagsire is out," he announced loudly so the viewers could hear. "Good job, Mia!"

I cheered myself on, along with some applause from the kids nearby. As Wake put his defeated Pokemon away, I beckoned Gible over to share plans for the next battle. Wake wasn't likely to make the same mistake twice, and I'd already forced both Shellos and Mareep to be my only support for the rest of the fight.

"Gible, when I tell you, you have to use Draco Meteor again."

My Pokemon was again shocked by the request. He still wasn't strong enough to use it more than once, and even that would drain him completely. On top of that, it was unlikely the attack would actually land at all. But that's not why I needed it.

"Trust me," I whispered to him, giving him a kiss on his snout.

Across the way, Wake had chosen his next Pokemon. Once it was out on the field, I quickly grabbed my Pokedex and scanned it in.

"Floatzel, the Sea Weasel Pokemon. It floats using its well-developed flotation sac. It assists in the rescues of drowning people."

"Makes sense," I said to myself, setting side the Pokedex.

"Floatzel, Brine!"

"Gible, do it now!"

Floatzel moved to close the distance, while Gible did nothing but focus his energy. Wake's Pokemon was able to launch its water attack first of course, which struck Gible head-on and interrupted his attack. Even as he floundered in the water, Gible quickly latched onto a different flotation bar. Again he began to focus his energy, his entire body glowing in the process.

"Floatzel, Aqua Jet!"

Wake's Pokemon began a mad dash towards Gible, his two tails acting like an engine to propel him forward at a blinding speed. Just before Floatzel crashed into Gible, my Pokemon let out a cry (that was almost immediately cut off from the impact). I caught Gible out of the water, but even that small breach of the rules was ignored as everyone was left in awe at what was happening above the pool. Gible's Draco Meteor had been finished, and the hunk of magical rock floated there for a brief moment before it crashed down on the pool's center. Unfortunately, Floatzel was too close to my side to have gotten hit by the attack, but it did cause a massive crash that sent water from the pool everywhere. Everything in the gym was hit by the water, and I think I even heard windows breaking in the process.

By the time it was over, the pool was nearly half empty, the people watching us drenched, and indeed the windows high above the gym were all broken. No doubt the water Gible displaced from the pool with that attack had ended up flooding a good portion of the street outside.

"Whoa..." Wake could only mumble as he saw the damage done.

"Sorry?" I said to him, finding myself sitting outside of the pool now that the water level had been lowered a few feet. Wake himself was no longer touching water thanks to that.

"That was amazing!" He yelled, almost unable to contain his glee. "I never thought such an attack was possible!"

I laughed weakly at the praise, but unfortunately poor Gible was completely drained. I put him back in his Pokeball, so that he might get a chance to rest. Floatzel on the other hand was swimming around the much shallower water, unsure what to do now. Realizing this was my chance, I released Mareep once more, putting her on the small island nearby.

"Mareep, Thundershock!"

"Hey! WHOA!?"

As my Pokemon charged her horns up for the attack, Floatzel and Wake both could do nothing. She unleashed the bolt down at Floatzel, who was electrified to the point he looked charred black. Wake's surprise was still plain on his face, but the fact was that without much water, there was nothing he could say. His rule was to make sure no one got hurt in the process, and now that neither of us were touching the pool, Mareep's attacks were fully effective again.

"I got to hand it to ya, that was a good move!" Wake said, calling back his Floatzel. He had his hand on his final Pokemon, but was hesitant to release it. "I take it you'll be using Mareep?"

I nodded. "Yup! Want to give up now?"

All he could do was laugh. "Never! Go, Gyarados!"

I didn't have to scan this Pokemon, as I'd battled one just the previous day. I knew how dangerous it could be, though, so I wasted no time in ordering my next attack.

"Mareep, Electro Ball!"

"Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"

Both our Pokemon began to wind up, but even as Gyarados got his attack off first, Mareep's electrical attack cut through the dark flames of Dragon Rage. It struck Gyarados square in its open jaw, seemingly amplifying the damage further. Again I could hear gasps from the kids nearby, but I knew there was no way his Pokemon could take such a beating and remain standing.

Sure enough, Gyarados slumped over. The battle was won!

But that wasn't everything. Just as I was about to celebrate, I noticed Mareep begin to glow. A brief panic set in, but then I realized what was happening. The crowd watching began to clap, as if it would help the process along. After a short time, Mareep stopped glowing, and had grown a bit in size. Her dark skinned had changed to a shade of pale pink, and overall she had much less wool. I reached into my (soaked) bag for my Pokedex to scan her.

"Flaaffy, the Wool Pokemon. As a result of storing too much electricity, it developed patches where even downy wool won't grow."

My newly evolved Flaaffy let out a soft baa, and now I finally jumped to my feet and clapped my hands. This was double reason to celebrate!

* * *

I will admit one thing: I was scared.

Not because I thought I'd lose the fight. Well, maybe a little. But because of when the police stormed into the gym not long after the end of our battle. The sudden "explosion" from the gym had the city on alert, and one Officer Jenny had been sent to see what happened. It took Wake a little while to explain it all, and to convince her that it wasn't yet another attack by Team Galactic. I realized at that point how on edge people were over Cyrus' antics.

After confessing that it was my Pokemon's attack that caused all the damage, I apologized as much as I could. I told her I'd do everything I could to help fix things, even if it meant going flat broke (which wouldn't take long, considering). But at the end of it all, Officer Jenny assured me that everything would be handled by the Pokemon League.

"Damage to the gyms during battles is a common enough thing," she said with a weak smile. "I just don't think we've ever had such extensive damage during a single match in the history of Pastoria City."

"We haven't," Wake chipped in with his usual boastful laugh. "I've been the leader here since before you were born, officer!"

Given how white his hair was, I was willing to believe that. Though I was amazed by how buff Wake still was.

"As for you," he followed up, turning to me. "You've earned yourself a new badge!"

He produced one from his pants, which had what looked like a lake at the base of a mountain. This was my fifth badge, and as eager to pin it to my ID as I was, I still had to change out of my swimsuit. In fact, it was only now that I realized I should probably cover up in front of all the officers. But despite my sudden embarrassment, I couldn't help but feel happy at this latest accomplishment!

* * *

 **Author's Note: This is the end of Mia Storia. Please read the Author Page for more information. Thank you for your support!**


End file.
